


Blue, Yellow and Green were our little cars

by Realitysucks



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bromance to Romance, Childhood Friends, Childhood to Adulthood, Coming Out, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Jealousy, Malec, Malec Smut, Malec forever, Multi, Pining, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Slow Burn, best friends since kindergarten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2018-08-10 04:56:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 164,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7831147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Realitysucks/pseuds/Realitysucks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>''For $200, Alec has to kiss a boy !'' shouted Lily before raising her glass of vodka.</p>
<p>Alec stared at her with a frown. $200? he thought. It was a lot. He wondered with confusion how many books it would make and could already imagine them in his room. He really wanted those $200 now, but he didn't know who to kiss and even less how.</p>
<p>He didn't want to kiss a stranger, the only people whom he thought about were Jace and Magnus. His choice was quickly made, Jace was straight and had Clary whereas Magnus had no one. </p>
<p>Alec hoped he wouldn't mind a little kiss.</p>
<p>For $200, he motivated himself before standing up under the encouraging and alcoholic cries of his friends.</p>
<p>[Childhood: 1 to 10]<br/>[Adolescence: 11 to ...]<br/>[Adulthood: ... to ... ]<br/>-------------------------------DROPPED--------------------------------------------------------</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm supposed to be on vacation away from everything, couldn't stay away from Malec I guess... So I'm back ! 
> 
> I'm not an English native so sorry for any mistakes !

Alec was waiting for a long time already, it had been a very long time since he was ready and that he was waiting for his mother to be as ready as he was. He had put on his shoes, his jacket, and his schoolbag was even on his back but his mother wasn't coming.

Besides, Isabelle was crying.

Worried, he left the entrance and went into the living room, where the cries came from. Izzy was whining, spread and face down on the carpet, in front of her favorite cartoon. She didn't seem to cry for a reason and had sometimes a tendency to cry over nothing. After making sure that his little sister was only whining to get some attention, Alec trotted to the bathroom where his mother was preparing herself to go-out.

She was combing her long black hair, splashed on her a product that smelled good and put on lipstick, her face almost touching the mirror.

''Mom, Izzy's crying!'' he said, thinking she wasn't hearing anything.

From the bathroom, they could clearly hear his sister gasp and tears start up again with renewed vigor. Maryse glanced at him with a small smile.

''She wants her cuddly toy,'' she murmured calmly while looking one last time into the mirror.

''Where is it?''

Maryse cleaned her makeup, closed the open drawers, turned off the light and slipped a hand into the dark tousled hair of her son who was looking at her with his big blue eyes.

Alec sniffed the scent that emanated from her and frowned when she suddenly bent down to drop a big kiss on his cheek that he automatically rubbed under her amused gaze.

''It must be in your room.''

Alec followed her into the room that he shared with his sister and stopped on the doorway to let his mother find the cuddly toy.

''Did you see her throw it there?'' she asked with a frown before pulling a big stuffed bunny on top of the closet.

Alec shook his head and took his sister's cuddly toy that she handed to him. He then ran to Isabelle who was still crying in the living room. She stood up when she saw him coming nearer, wiped her face covered with tears and snot and looked at him with curiosity before pushing an excited cry when she saw what he was holding in his hands. Alec gave her the bunny a little too violently which made her tilt backward while firmly hugging the cuddly toy against her.

Izzy wiped her eyes with its big ears and Alec grabbed one of them to stick it on her sweaty forehead.

Then, she began to cry again which made Alec wince. She had what she wanted though.

''She doesn't want you to go to school,'' sighed Maryse kneeling near them. ''You don't want Alec to go to school, right? And stop crying like a big baby when you're a big girl now.''

Usually when Izzy was told to be a big girl it worked but currently it didn’t and it even worsened her crying face that got distorted in a funny way.

''I have to go to school,'' Alec seriously said. ''I'm five years old,'' he added as if it was a reason enough for him to go and to make his three years old cry-baby little sister understand that it was his fate.

''Don't go!'' Isabelle finally shouted in a whine. ''Aaaaaaleeeeeeec, I don't wanna get booooored ! Don't gooooo !''

Maryse rolled her eyes and took her in her arms under her shrill cries and tried to calm her down by telling her what they were going to do today.

Izzy finally calmed down when their mother made her bunches with two pretty ribbons that held nothing and Maryse had to do the same on Mr. Cuddly Toy.

''I don't want to be late,'' Alec declared with a frown while seeing his mother lingered more and more.

''We won't be late,'' she said in a comforting tone. ''Everybody's ready?'' she asked but mainly staring at Izzy who hugged Alec straight away with a wide grin to show him how cute she was, but it didn't last.

''Don't go,'' she repeated in a small voice.

''Alec has to go, he's a big boy now and big boys need to go to school,'' explained Maryse taking the stroller outside in which Izzy rushed like a queen who had recognized her throne.

''You have your schoolbag?'' asked Maryse.

Alec nodded, it hadn't left his back, he turned to show her and his mother smiled with satisfaction.

He held on her handbag when she tried, not without difficulty, to go down the few steps between the front door and the sidewalk, under Izzy's big smile, in the stroller, who refused to get out as if it was a merry-go-round.

Maryse thanked him with another loud kiss, leaving a red mark on his cheek that he hastened to wipe away immediately.

The stroller was moving too slowly for Alec who was getting impatient. He couldn’t wait to go to school and didn't want to be late.

Now that she was quietly settled in her dark red stroller, Izzy babbled on what she was seeing: the leaves falling, the beautiful dog, under the amused smile of their mom who pushed the stroller which Alec had hooked up with one hand. From time to time, her gaze focused on him as if to make sure he was still here despite his silence.

''You're looking forward to go to school Alec? '' she asked by leaning slightly toward him.

His mother's long black hair tickled his forehead and Alec blew on it as if it was his own.

''Yes.''

''You're not scared?''

''No.''

Maryse smiled and ran a hand through his hair.

Izzy squealed. ''An eagle!''

''It's a pigeon,'' Alec said while seeing the big pigeon on a bench.

''Dad will pick you up.''

Alec raised a skeptical look at her. ''Why not you?''

''Dad finishes earlier that's why he'll come and get you.''

Alec pouted and gave a kick to a pile of dead leaves. He wanted his mother to pick him up and not his father.

''Alec you'll be good, right?'' said Izzy in a stern tone. ''Otherwise, dad will be angry.''

''Why dad would be angry if you're good?'' Maryse said. ''I too, I won't be angry if you're good.''

''I'm always good but dad is always angry,'' Izzy stated while moving her legs with a pink tights.

Alec nodded and stared up at his mother.

''He's not always angry, he speaks loudly that's all,'' Maryse clarified.

But Alec wasn't listening, the kindergarten was just there, in front of him. The building seemed huge and the parents' crowd, in front of the big gate wide open, daunting and yet, he couldn't wait. He had only one desire: to let go of the stroller and go inside.

Alec looked up and stared at his mother who knelt to mechanically touch the collar of his jacket, with a nervous smile.

''You'll be fine,'' she said as if to reassure herself.

Izzy was humming a song from her favorite cartoon while looking at all those people around them.

''Can I go?'' Alec asked, looking with a frown at the children crying in their parents arms.

Maryse blinked, taken aback by his reaction and observed him lengthily. He had always been calm, reliable, too mature for his age and was sometimes impassive but she had secretly hoped that he would hug and kiss her.

Alec took her silence for a yes and rushed where all the children were going.

''Alec!'' said Maryse holding him back by the arm.

But she was soon occupied by Izzy who was trying to detach herself from the seat of her buggy with cries just as enthusiastic as the other children -the ones who were not crying- around them. It was literally the jungle where they were crying, screaming and indulged themselves to their heart content, for those who had already recovered from the separation.

''What about my kiss?'' asked Maryse with a frown and a wry wince while taking him in her arms.

''I want a kiss too!'' his little sister demanded, half released from her stroller, attracting the disapproving pout of their mother who immediately put a hand on her stomach to restrict her movements.

Alec looked at them, displeased. He wanted to play, have fun with the others and learn a lot and not give kisses.

''You don't want a hug?'' his mother asked a little disappointed.

Izzy was already stretching out her arms to hug him.

Alec didn't want a hug, he didn't need a hug but obviously his mother wanted one and needed one. He complied quickly, put his arms around her neck and quickly kissed her but she hugged him a little harder against her and her perfume wrapped him. He frowned when her hair tickled his nose and winced when she kissed him on the cheek.

Izzy immediately asked the same lipstick mark on her cheek and gave a screech when Alec refused to kiss her.

''She'll miss you, kiss her too,'' Maryse murmured while caressing his hair.

His little sister held her cheek in a comical wince where their mom’s blood red lips had landed a little earlier and he complied with a frown.

''You can go back now,'' Alec simply said with a too serious tone. ''Be good,'' he asked his little sister who nodded with enthusiasm before telling him that she was a big girl and that she could go to school too.

Alec joined his teacher under the worried stare of his mother who kept staring at him among the other worried parents, even relieved to finally get rid of their offspring.

He was too focused on this new environment to turn back to wave at his mom and little sister and because he feared that they would ask again a kiss and a hug, and he didn't want that.

There were three schoolteachers: an old and two young ones who were trying to comfort those who were crying. Alec had put his jacket and his schoolbag in his locker where he had his photo on it. He looked at his face with skepticism and joined the others already comfortably settled on the ground, staring at the old lady with white hair.

''I'm Mrs. Bean,'' she presented herself with a calm and soft voice. ''I'll be your teacher from now on and...''

But she was interrupted by a hiccup and a girl with blond hair began to cry, the mouth wide-open like a hippopotamus.

''Summer, why are you crying?'' she asked calmly so calmly that the girl stopped her whines. ''See?''

The children stared at Mrs. Bean slightly dumbfounded. She was smiling and looked greatly satisfied by her authority.

 

Alec frowned. He didn't understand why he had to write or rather copy  _'Alexander'_  everywhere when everybody called him Alec.

''This is your name,'' insisted Mrs. Bean.

''It's Alec.''

''From Alexander.''

''From Alec.''

Mrs. Bean frowned. ''Your name is Alexander Lightwood.''

Alec's frown deepened. He knew that from time to time his parents called his sister Isabelle and not Izzy but he had never heard anyone call him Alexander. Now he had to rewrite everything and he let out a deep sigh. He liked _Alec_ better, it was shorter, easier to write and he had to say that it sounded greater.

Mrs. Bean smiled and stood up to go to another table while he was fixing his  _c_  for a  _x_  and added  _ander_  for each tags.

But still, he was glad to not be named Charles-Philippe as the boy next to him who threw at him a jaded look. Alec smiled and carried on his task.

Then, they had to make an ocean in a jar and Alec laughed when Sarah decided that she was thirsty and drank the water from the jar before handing this improvised glass to the class under the piercing gaze of Mrs. Bean who found them too inattentive.

And it was time for the recess.

All children rushed outside except Alec who had spotted in a corner, behind chairs and a shelf full of books for children, small cars. He rushed over and put them in his pocket to take them on the schoolyard. He took only the three most beautiful ones: the blue, the green and the yellow.

The classroom was now deserted and the screams of the others, outside, broke the soothing silence that surrounded him. Alec really wanted to stay inside to play but he knew that he couldn't because he hadn't the right to do so.

That was when Ms. Toccarro, one of the young schoolteachers, came in the classroom with a boy Alec didn't remember seeing before. He looked fixedly at them, the hand in the pocket holding tightly the little cars.

''You're not outside Alexander?'' she asked after noticing him.

Alec frowned upon hearing his full name and shrugged. Ms. Toccarro smiled and walked towards him with the boy.

''I'm glad you're here, this is Magnus. Can you play with him?''

Alec glanced at Magnus with curiosity, wondering why he was late, and stared at him. They were the same size but not the same build. The boy in front of him was puny and clearly had foreign origins. His skin was caramel, his black hair was falling over his yellowish green eyes lengthened toward the temples and had pronounced cheekbones.

''Be patient with him, he doesn't speak English,'' she added with a smile.

The yellow-green eyes and the dark blue eyes stared at each other with the same curiosity. Alec smiled and took Magnus' hand to take him in the yard.

''My name is Alec not Alexander,'' he said to make sure they were on good basis. ''You want to play cars with me?''

Magnus looked at their hands with a slight frown but followed him without complaining.

A girl went by them screaming chased by two boys, startling Alec who inadvertently stepped back and crushed Magnus' foot, making him yelp in pain and muttering incomprehensible words.

''Sorry, I didn't mean to,'' he immediately apologized before looking down at his foot.

Magnus frowned and narrowed his eyes.

''Let's go over there,'' suggested Alec indicating with a finger a remote area near the playground.

Magnus followed his finger and focused his attention back on his face as if he was trying to understand what he was saying, but Alec didn't wait for his answer and pulled him down there.

He sat down and Magnus imitated him without hesitation but his frown didn't disappear.

Alec pulled the little cars from his pocket and put them on the ground, making a small smile appear on Magnus' lips, giving him a mischievous look, and he took them.

''Which one do you want?'' asked Alec.

Magnus looked up and tilted his head.

''Which car?''

Magnus blinked and put them back on the ground.

It was Alec's turn to frown, he took them, put them back in his hands and Magnus said something he didn't understand.

''What?''

Magnus said it again and showed the cars.

''Yes?'' Alec said.

A big smile lit up Magnus' face and he put the cars in his pocket under Alec's incredulous eyes. It wasn't a gift, but he didn't dare to say it. He just hoped that the teachers would never know where the little cars had gone.

Obviously, Magnus didn't understand a word of what he was saying but it didn't prevent Alec to be talkative, while crossing the schoolyard, followed closely by Magnus who never left his side. He stopped talking and smiled. Magnus reminded him Izzy -when she followed him like a chick wherever he went-.

''And I have a little sister, she's always crying because she likes to cry. She's a crybaby but my parents like her.''

Magnus stared at him and smiled because he was smiling.

They were stopped by Charles-Philippe, who needed two police officers, the little boy immediately furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Magnus.

''Who's that ?'' he asked.

''It's Magnus, he was late,'' Alec answered.

Charles-Philippe nodded and Magnus looked at Alec when he heard his name.

''He can be a cop too,'' authorized him Charles-Philippe. ''Let's catch criminals!'' he yelled, waving his arms and whistling in an imaginary whistle.

''Run!'' Alec said to Magnus, grabbing his arm.

The latter complied looking a little lost and imitated everything Alec did, who stopped being worried for him when he saw that he seemed to have fun and to catch a lot of criminals. Magnus was fast and even had the right to a promotion: having Charles-Philippe's dessert at noon.

Whether in class or at lunch, Magnus stood beside Alec and didn't leave his side under the satisfied gaze of Mrs. Bean and Ms. Toccarro happy to see that he integrated quite well despite the language barrier.

Even to go to the toilets Magnus followed Alec.

''You too you want to pee?'' asked the little boy.

Ms. Wood went with them to the facilities, and Alec refused any help from her and went alone in the booth while Magnus waited next to her. Sadly, he didn't manage to button his pants when he had finished and had to ask for help, while Magnus was going inside.

When he returned alone in the classroom, he caught Mrs. Bean and Ms. Toccarro talking while everyone else was playing some game. He didn't understand anything except that they were speaking about his new friend.

''So the Banes went to Jakarta to adopt him?'' asked in a whisper Ms. Toccarro, widening her eyes.

''The boy won't be unhappy to live in such a big house. They're rich as Croesus and have enough to make anyone happy.''

''When was it?''

''Last month, they want Magnus to fit in quickly.''

''The poor sweetheart, he must be so confused.''

Mrs. Bean nodded and clapped in her hands to get the attention of her pupils, while Magnus joined Alec with a satisfied grin.

When the time of the fathers and mothers came, too quickly for some of them, including Alec and Magnus who sighed and muttered incomprehensible words when he realized it was time to go. The children said goodbye, waved at each other under the watchful eye of Magnus who seemed reluctant to follow them.

''Bye,'' Alec said. ''See you tomorrow.''

Magnus blinked. ''Bye,'' he repeated and as if it sounded good in his mouth said it again. ''Bye.''

Alec smiled. ''Yeah, bye.''

Magnus smiled too and went outside.

When it was Alec's turn to go outside, he easily spotted his father, tall as he was among the other parents, and Magnus in the arms of a tall richly dressed woman who could be easily noticeable among the other mothers as well.

Robert threw himself at him with a big smile and Alec stiffened as he got tightly hugged and winced when his father's unshaven chin grazed his face when he loudly kissed him on the cheek.

''How was your day? Did you have fun?'' he asked loudly.

''Yes, it was fun,'' Alec simply answered.

''Did you make a lot of friends?''

Alec frowned. He didn't know that he had to make a lot of friends.

''Dad, why you didn't tell me that my name is Alexander?'' he reproached as if he had been lied all his life.

His father blinked. ''Alec for Alexander, it's shorter this way.''

''I don't like Alexander, the teacher wanted me to write it everywhere. I wanted to write Alec.''

Robert smiled. ''You know how to write?''

''I always knew how to write.''

His father snorted and let him go.

Alec suddenly turned his head looking for Magnus to show him his new friend but he was already gone.

''What's adopted?'' he suddenly asked.

Robert frowned. ''Adopted? It's when you go in another family when you no longer have parents. You have new parents,'' he explained while taking his schoolbag.

Alec followed him with furrowed brows, assimilating this new vocabulary.

''And what's Zah Cata?''

''Zah Cata?'' repeated his father with a frown before holding his hand when they had to cross the road.

He walked fast, too fast for Alec's little legs who was almost running to stay beside him. Exasperated because he couldn't be as fast as him, Alec dropped his hand and stopped abruptly forcing him to do the same.

Alec knew that even Izzy was afraid when their father was the one to push the stroller, unlike when it was their mother, who sometimes walked too slowly to make sure that Alec or his sister -when she wanted to walk- followed her. Maryse was as gentle as quiet whereas Robert was just the opposite: he spoke loudly, was sometimes a bit abrupt when he showed his affection and walked very fast.

Robert stopped too and turned to him with a smile. ''It wouldn't be Jakarta?''

Alec, still frowning, came nearer but refused to take the hand he held out.

''Jakarta is a town, in Indonesia,'' he added. ''Where did you hear that?''

Alec shrugged and thought about Magnus. ''Where's Indonesia?''

''It's far, very far.''

Alec nodded and took this time his father's hand who immediately squeezed it with a small smile.

''What did you do today?''

But Alec wasn't listening, he had noticed the plane that was crossing the sky and showed it with a finger.

''Is it going to Jakarta?''

Robert blinked, stopped walking, and looked up at the airplane that he lengthily stared at with a puzzled look.

''I don't know.''

Alec glanced at him. ''Where's it going then?''

Robert lowered his dark blue eyes at him with an amused spark. ''I don't know, probably in the West.''

Alec hummed, staring up at the plane and pulled his father to make him walk.

His father opened the front door and the little boy rushed on the floor to sit in order to take off his shoes with the utmost concentration. Alec grunted when two little arms squeezed his neck and very tightly, so hard that Alec lost his balance and made Izzy fall with him.

''You made me drop my lollipop!'' she shrilly squealed.

''You were the one who dropped it,'' Robert corrected. ''Give me a kiss?''

Izzy got up sullenly and stared at him with a frown. ''No.''

But she kissed her brother on the cheek with sticky lips that made him wince. Robert sighed and put away their jackets, while they were trotting toward the TV to watch cartoons.

''Where's your mom?''

Izzy shrugged and turned up the volume, her eyes fixed on the screen, the mouth slightly opened, while Alec took a cushion to put on the carpet in order to sit on it.

''I want one too,'' she demanded with a glance.

Alec gave her his gray cushion and went to take another one on the couch and sat beside her. Izzy gave him a very satisfied look, drew her cushion closer to his and focused once again her attention on the screen.

She suddenly rose and rushed into the kitchen under the curious gaze of her big brother, she came back with two lollipops and handed one to him.

''Don't tell mom,'' she whispered loudly.

''And dad will do as if he had seen nothing,'' said their father while sitting on the couch.

''What?''' asked Maryse, her hair disappearing under a fuchsia pink towel wrapped around her head.

Izzy's eyes widened and she threw herself on the lollipop Alec had just opened, snatched it from him and hid it with hers under her dress.

''I saw you Izzy,'' sighed Maryse. ''You have sown lollipops all over the house.''

Alec smiled when he saw her make her face as innocent as possible.

''How was your day?'' asked him his mother. ''Did you have fun ?''

Alec nodded and straightened up to kiss her and sat back on his cushion, eyes glued on the screen.

''He had fun and asked me many questions,'' answered for him his father.

Maryse nodded, staring at Alec who was not looking at them.

 

Once in bed and having read them a story about a princess and not a dragon, as would have liked Alec, Maryse turned off the light and left their door ajar.

Alec stared at the light in the corridor through the opening and covered his head with his Batman sheets.

''Good night,'' crooned Izzy.

''Good night.''

He carefully listened and stiffened, but Izzy didn't move and remained quietly in her own bed. He sighed with relief. There was a time when as soon as their parents turned their back she immediately rushed into his, not wanting to sleep alone and because she was a little afraid of the dark.

''Alec?''

''What?''

''Do you want a lollipop?''

Alec frowned. ''No and you're not supposed to eat a lollipop now.''

But a sucking sound could be heard clearly on Izzy's side who was noisily sucking her lollipop.

''You'll get cavities.''

His little sister seemed to not care at all and Alec sighed before turning against the wall.

He hadn't slept long and the light in the corridor was still on, which meant that their parents were still awake. Alec got out of bed and walked toward his sister's bed against the wall opposite to his. He smiled when he saw her unfinished lollipop which was now stuck into her hair and pulled her blanket up to her neck in a caring gesture.

He licked his lips, he was thirsty and didn't want to sleep.

He found his parents in the living room, watching TV, sitting side by side on the couch. Alec opened his mouth to ask for a glass of water but his mother began to speak.

''He worries me, he's too mature for his age...he didn't want to kiss me and give me a hug.''

Robert snorted. ''It's not because he didn't want to hug you and give a little kiss that it makes him too mature for his age. I was the same.''

He paused and then carried on.

''It would be nice if we could give a little of his maturity to Izzy,'' he joked. ''She still wants the stroller?''

''She insists, she doesn't like walking.''

''A real little princess,'' Robert snorted.

''I'm thirsty, '' Alec said in a small voice, coming toward them.

Maryse sat up immediately and turned around with a smile. ''Come here.''

And he followed her into the kitchen where she gave him a glass of water. He drank it with small sips under her stare and hurried to finish, thinking she was expecting him to finish quickly.

''So you didn't know that you're name was Alexander?'' she asked with a little smile and running a hand through his tousled hair.

Alec shook his head, making his teeth tinkle against the glass. ''I like Alec better,'' he stated handing her his glass.

''That's why we call you this way but your full name is Alexander Gideon Lightwood.''

The little boy stared at her with a frown. ''It's Alec.''

Maryse smiled and stroked his cheek with her fingertips. ''Go back to bed.''

''I'm not tired.''

But he went back to bed, looking forward to the next day to play with Magnus.

*

With a mouth full of cacao, Izzy narrowed her eyes in a mischievous way, which made Alec frown. She hadn't seen the lollipop stuck into her hair, thing that didn't escape their mother's piercing eye, who deeply sighed.

''Where's the packet of lollipops?'' she asked firmly.

Izzy looked up and smiled to soften her but Maryse's expression became more severe.

''Isabelle.''

''I ate everything,'' she confessed.

''And here's the proof,'' said Robert, pointing the lollipop in her hair. ''The greed punished you, young lady, we have to cut everything.''

Izzy widened her eyes and gave him a terrified look. ''No!''

''Yes.''

Maryse glanced at him in a weary way and removed the lollipop from Izzy’s hair. At least she tried but she couldn't take it off.

''I have to wash your hair, '' she said wearily. ''Are you ready?'' she asked Alec who had just finished his breakfast.

He was always ready.

''I can take him,'' suggested Robert.

''Yes, go away,'' said Izzy before clinging to Maryse and following her into the bathroom.

Robert frowned. ''I was joking when I said that I'll cut off your hair.''

Izzy, still pouting, didn't give him a single look and disappeared into the hallway.

''You're ready?''

Alec gave his father a bored look. ''I haven't brushed my teeth and you either,'' he sternly rebuked.

Izzy's cries grew shrilly in the tub and she wanted to get her lollipop back under their mother's remonstrance who threw it in the trash. Alec watched them quietly while brushing his teeth and his father lifted him to help him spit it into the sink.

''I'm tall enough,'' he reminded him grumpily.

Robert smiled and ruffled his hair.

''I'm tall too,'' Izzy said, raising her head while Maryse ended to dry her. ''I don't want Mr. Cuddly Toy anymore and the stroller, it's for babies,'' she added in a pompous tone.

Their mother hummed and dried her face whereas Alec took the opportunity to run toward the entrance, ready to go.

''And my kiss?'' Maryse asked loudly.

''You really want me to kiss you?'' Robert teased, nevertheless holding Alec to prevent him from going away.

Maryse narrowed her eyes and leaned down to kiss Alec's cheek. The latter sighed.

''I already gave you kisses yesterday,'' he reminded her.

His mother smiled and hugged him. ''I want a kiss for today,'' she whispered, kissing his cheek. ''Have fun.''

This time he didn't wipe his face as she hadn't put any lipstick on and pressed a tiny kiss on her cheek.

''I want a kiss too,'' claimed Izzy with a frown.

Alec groaned and almost pushed his father away to get out from where he had been stuck.

''I don't want to be late.''

''We won't be late, I want a kiss too, '' Robert claimed watching his daughter who frowned as if he was unworthy of her kisses.

Alec trotted toward the entrance, took his shoes, sat down and put them with the greatest concentration a boy of his age could have.

''The princess has finally kissed her father,'' said Robert on a satisfied tone while bringing his schoolbag. ''Here we go, what about your coat?''

Alec stretched out immediately his arms and let him help him to put it on and then put his schoolbag on the back.

''We won't be late,'' he tried to reassure him. ''Let's go.''

And Alec rushed out in pursuit of his father who was, as usual, walking too fast.

They weren't late but all the children were already here to have fun in the kindergarten yard and Alec smiled at them.

''Have a nice day,'' said his father before ruffling his hair.

''Work well,'' Alec said.

Robert chuckled, greeted the teacher and went to work not without casting one last look behind him.

Alec stared back at him and went into the schoolyard to mix with the other children. He quickly spotted Magnus, sitting on the floor in a round. He didn't seem to have fun and threw occasionally weary glances around him. When his eyes fell on Alec, his face lit up before jumping up and he ran towards him.

''Hi!''

''Hi,'' Alec said with a smile.

Magnus smiled back even more widely and followed him as he went to drop his bag in his locker.

''Did you watch cartoons yesterday?'' Alec asked him.

Magnus frowned and seemed hesitating to talk, so Alec talked a lot of this and that and asked questions that remained unanswered, except that it attracted the curious gaze of Magnus who was certainly wondering what he was saying.

 

As the days and weeks went by, Magnus progressed a lot and understood everything of what was said to him but he didn't dare to talk, fearing to be laughed at. The blame on the other children who, whenever he was trying to make a correct sentence despite a strong accent, asked him what he meant to say when it was perfectly understandable.

Magnus then shut up like a clam and spoke less and less, let alone Alec who didn't and seriously took his role as a teacher by forcing him to talk about everything. He liked his accent but was careful not to say anything fearing to upset Magnus who wouldn't speak to him either.

''Charles-Philippe is an idiot, don't listen to him.''

Magnus sadly smiled and described the pile of leaves he saw in the yard.

''It's a pile of dead leaves.''

Alec nodded and forced him to go on and on until Magnus became sullen and didn't want to talk anymore.

''But Alec,'' he said with a frown.

But that was all,  _but Alec_  meant that he had enough.

''You need to speak, everyone says it,'' insisted Alec. ''So speak.''

Magnus narrowed his eyes. ''I'm not a parrot,'' he mumbled.

''Of course not, you're Magnus, not a parrot so speak, even your mom wants you to speak.''

Magnus frowned and gave a kick to a stone while looking at him out of  the corner of the eye.

''Do you have fun?'' asked Ms. Toccarro while approaching them with a huge smile.

''No,'' said Magnus with a frown. ''Alec makes me talk, we don't play and it’s boring.''

Alec did his best to not look hurt and Ms. Toccarro took his side.

''If you have made that much of progress it's thanks to him, isn't it Alec? You can be proud of you, and nothing prevent you to go and play with the others Magnus.''

''You can play with Charles-Philippe,'' added Alec before turning on his heel.

Magnus' clear eyes widened and he caught him back easily. ''I want to play with you but you don't, you make me talk all the time, I don't like it,'' he explained in an imploring tone.

Alec stared at him, Izzy too did the same eyes when he didn't want to play with her.

''We play, it's just that you don't know. Our game is to make you talk so that your English gets a lot better.''

Magnus threw at him a puzzled look. ''I don't like it, let's play another game.''

Alec frowned. ''What other game?''

''Kids! Who wants to play soccer?'' asked Ms. Toccarro.

All the boys rushed towards her and the ball she was holding.

Magnus smiled with satisfaction. ''That.''

Alec shrugged and followed him before mixing into the small crowd that had formed.

''I want Alec and Magnus on my team!'' hastened to shout Charles-Philippe.

Alec didn't give Magnus the time to respond with his joyful look. ''Magnus will play with you if you stop making fun of him. He speaks English very well and you have to apologize for making fun of him.''

Charles-Philippe blinked, the ball in his arms, and threw a confused look at Magnus. ''I was joking, you know.''

Then, his gaze went to Alec and Magnus, and he scowled.

''I'm sorry,'' he mumbled. ''We can play now?''

''Did you hear?'' Alec asked Magnus who enthusiastically nodded. ''You have the right to refuse.''

Charles-Philippe threw at him a panicked look as Magnus seemed to seriously consider it.

''I accept your sorry because I want to play,'' he finally said with a huge grin.

Charles-Philippe's eye became skeptical and darted on Alec a look saying that it was his fault. Then, Summer came and gave a blow to the ball and they all could finally play.

Magnus was the fastest even though he couldn't aim properly, making Alec laugh when he sent the ball several times in the same tree, forcing Mrs. Bean to climb on a stool to get it back. Exasperated, she finally confiscated the soccer ball and the bell announcing the end of the recess sounded.

Alec sighed unhappy to see that it was his father who came to fetch him, Izzy perched on his shoulders. It had been some time since his mother hadn't been the one to bring and get him.

Izzy seemed really pleased to dominate everyone with her new height. She was adorable with her bunches, her ribbons and pink cheeks.

Alec went toward them almost reluctantly while Magnus ran toward his mother, huge on her high heels. But it wasn't her size that attracted their attention but her outfit. She was wearing a long leather coat with a beautiful purple color and Magnus didn't seem the least dazzled by her unusual appearance, quite the contrary, he seemed to marvel about her outfit.

''You had a good day?'' asked his father before taking his schoolbag.

''Why Izzy has only one shoe?'' asked the latter watching his sister who shrugged and waved her feet.

His father's look immediately converged toward the feet of his daughter and he rolled his eyes. ''Where is your shoe?''

''I don't know,'' answered Izzy as if she didn't care to have lost one of her shoes. ''It bothered me.''

''And so you decided to take it off?'' he said in an annoyed tone. ''You remember where you lost it?''

Izzy and Alec exchanged a smile and Robert sighed.

''Hello,'' said a calm and deep voice.

''Hello,'' automatically said Izzy with a wide grin.

Alec turned his head and saw Magnus with his mother who reached with her hand for their father who shook it just as automatically.

''I'm Demetria Bane, Magnus' mother,'' she introduced herself, gazing down at her little Magnus who was looking in a puzzled way at the foot without a shoe of Izzy.

Isabelle was looking at Magnus' mother as if she had just saw a fairy, with widened eyes and the mouth slightly opened. Still, Alec preferred his own mom even if she was simpler with her appearance.

''Robert Lightwood.''

''I understand that you have taken over Mr. Fitz's office with your wife?''

''Not with my wife, she is an accountant,'' he said with a smile.

Mrs. Bane smiled knowingly. ''A lawyer and an accountant, a couple of power,'' she joked.

''Mom, Alec,'' reminded her Magnus while pulling her arm.

''Oh right, I would love, and Magnus too, to invite your son to come and sleep at home this weekend as they are very good friends and get along very well.''

Magnus grinned at Alec who stared at him.

''You said you didn't like when I was making you talk.''

''We'll play not talk.''

Mrs. Bane chuckled. ''I have to thank you personally my dear Alec, thanks to you Magnus' English improve a lot, isn't it?''

Magnus nodded reluctantly whereas Alec's smile widened under her praise. Robert looked down at his son who raised his head to meet his gaze.

''I see no reason to refuse but I'll have to ask my wife.''

''Fantastic,'' Mrs. Bane said with a hand gesture. ''See you soon then, you too Alec and delighted to have met you young lady,'' she added to Izzy while touching her foot without any shoe.

Magnus waved his hand at Alec who replied with a funny face. Magnus' yellowish green eyes widened, shocked by what he had seen and he remained motionless for a long moment before his mother took his arm. It was the turn of Alec's eyebrows to rise when Magnus also made a funny face, that Izzy saw and inspired her to do the same.

''Let's go,'' Robert sighed. ''But first we have to find Izzy's shoe.''

The battle of funny faces ceased when Magnus disappeared into a beautiful car that Robert looked lengthily at.

''So you're friend with him?'' he asked whereas Alec jumped in a pile of dead leaves.

Isabelle showed him another one with her finger in which he rushed.

''I'm his teacher, I teach him English as he didn't know how to speak English but we're friends too.''

His father smiled and they went back home without Izzy's shoe.

 

Before going to bed, Alec heard his parents speak about Magnus. It seemed that everyone knew him.

''They've really adopted a child?'' asked Maryse in the kitchen trying to stir something in a large saucepan.

''Alec told me, he's from Jakarta.''

''He won't be unhappy with the Banes.''

''Alec taught him English and he is invited there to sleep as their good friends.''

''To sleep? No, they're too small, they'll be hellish...for the day but not to sleep.''

Robert sighed whereas Alec hidden behind the wall pouted. He really wanted to sleep at Magnus' place and play.

''And how you didn't notice that your daughter had lost her shoe, you should have felt it fall if she was on your shoulders!''

''Obviously not, as you can see, if it had been you she wouldn't have done it on purpose.''

Alec winced when he heard his father annoyed tone and find it preferable to return to his room where Izzy was waiting.

''What do you mean?'' hissed his mother. ''I have to work too!''

''It's not what we had agreed, I also have a job,'' dryly retorted his father.

Alec ran to his room as if he was pursued by a monster, thinking that he would be safe once in his bed and hidden into the sheets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I asked a lot around me about children's behavior, school -as I don't really know how the English system in kindergarten is working despite google -, what I remember, how was my little sister so if there're inaccuracies and if it doesn't make sense, let's just say it's a very alternate universe ! :)


	2. The Banes' mansion and a grumpy cat

''Alec!'' whispered loudly Izzy before shaking him again and again.

He groaned and opened one eye. His little sister was leaning over him with a smile that made him frown.

''Play with me,'' she ordered.

Alec blinked and looked around him with confusion. He was sleepy and wanted to sleep. He yawned and turned against the wall, ignoring her and her whines.

Izzy shook him again which earned her another growl.

''My dolls are ready,'' she trumpeted proudly while getting off his bed. ''And you're awake.''

Resignedly, Alec pushed his blanket and looked at the carpet between their beds in the middle of their room. Izzy had put there all of her dolls and the big dollhouse that she had received for her birthday. She had even thought about taking his dragon and all his dinosaurs, the servants of the great dragon who was the supreme master.

He had to admit that now he wanted to play and joined her on the soft carpet. He no longer minded that it was night time, that Izzy had awakened him and that she had gone into the room where were all their toys despite the ban of their parents to not play after a certain hour.

Alec had seen his dragon and wanted to play.

Izzy shook her prettiest doll, inviting Alec to proudly do the same with his dragon.

His sister told him what they had to play. Her doll princess was kept by a ferocious dragon that was destroying everything in his path. Alec didn't like the beginning when his dragon had to remain stupidly in front of the dollhouse and found the end more interesting: when the dragon and his minions destroyed her dollhouse for revenge.

But of course, nothing happened as planned. Izzy's doll was too strong for a mere dragon like his. She made incredible acrobatics compared to a dragon spitting fire and who could only fly.

''I don't want to play anymore,'' said Alec, dropping his winged dragon on the floor.

Isabelle stared at him, looking shocked that he had dared to interrupt the acrobatics of her doll.

''I always lose with you and everybody knows that dragons are stronger than Barbies,'' he added.

''So why do I win all the time?'' she retorted, swinging her doll at the other end of the carpet before crossing her arms.

''Because you decide all the time.''

''Because they're no Barbies in your games!''

Alec opened his mouth to defend himself when the door of their bedroom suddenly opened, revealing their mother in pajamas, the hair disheveled and with a tired face.

''What are you doing?'' she asked quietly before meticulously observing the compromising situation they were in.

''We play,'' Izzy answered by approaching Alec, feeling that she would be scolded.

But Alec too was going to be scolded.

''At four in the morning,'' Maryse stated while raising an eyebrow.

Alec grabbed his dragon as big as his legs and squeezed him against him. He knew what was coming.

''I thought I was clear about the toys,'' she reminded them.

Izzy's face twitched and she cast an imploring look at Alec as if he could do something. They knew that their toys had to remain in the room in front of theirs and if they wanted to play they had to go there, but not before bed and not after waking up.

''Mom,'' she murmured.

''I'll confiscate them until further notice,'' firmly announced Maryse before moving closer.

They watched her pick up their toys with a crumbled face and budged in order to not bother her. Izzy sobbed when she grabbed her favorite doll. Alec was relieved to have been fast enough to catch his dragon. He didn't care about the dinosaurs, at least not in the same way.

''Not my doll,'' Izzy began to whine.

Alec looked at her and his dragon and went towards Maryse.

''You can take my dragon but don't take her doll.''

Maryse, who was kneeling on the floor in the process of bending the dollhouse, looked up at him and at his dragon with a small smile.

''Really? You won't have your toys anymore and it won't change anything, I'm confiscating everything.''

He handed her his toy nonetheless. ''You can take mine too then.''

He did his best to do as if his gesture of solidarity seemed to give the impression that it didn't matter whereas it did. Alec looked, with a torn heart, at his mother taking his dragon from him.

*

He missed his dragon terribly and this lack was showing in his drawings. Magnus looked with perplexity at the drawing he had almost finished.

''What's that?'' he asked with a frown.

Alec gave him a bored look. It’s a dragon.''

''A dragon?'' he repeated with narrowed eyes and a wrinkled nose. ''What's that?''

''A toy my mom confiscated.''

Magnus looked again at his drawing carefully, with a concentrated expression and smiled.

''It looks like a pterodactyl,'' he trumpeted.

Alec blinked and stared at him, thinking he had just spoken in Indonesian.

''It looks like that,'' explained Magnus. ''I have one in my room.''

''A dragon?''

''No, a pterodactyl.''

Disappointed, Alec took a green felt to color the scales. ''A real one?''

Magnus thought for a moment. ''No, but it's scary, he looks at me all the time.''

Alec nodded, tongue pulled out in and intense concentration. ''You'll show me?''

Magnus nodded and smiled before taking a red felt to finish coloring his house. Alec cast a glance at his drawing. He had drawn his home, his parents, their cars -a lot of cars-, a fountain, palm trees and himself in the middle with a big smile. He had drawn himself tinier, his eyes were just two lines inclined downwards and he had colored his skin darker than it currently was, but he looked happy.

And under Alec's eyes, Magnus' drawing got wet. Charles-Philippe who was painting next to them had just split his glass of water by dipping his brush with too much enthusiasm.

The bright colors of Magnus' drawing faded and mingled to form only bland and deformed color stains.

 

During the recess, an incident happened.

Magnus and Alec were playing at who was climbing faster in the wooden tower in the middle of the yard when Summer decided to join them for Magnus' beautiful eyes. She had decided to be his girlfriend -even if he hadn’t asked for anything- and stuck to him wherever he went, sticking to Alec as wel who despite his annoyance tolerated her presence a lot more than Magnus.

But he didn't want to be on the way when Summer wanted to play house so he went away, earning a pout from Magnus who would have preferred to play with him.

Alec was quietly playing with Charles-Philippe when he heard someone crying and the angry voice of Mrs. Bean. He stood up, leaving his sand tunnel, on which he was passing around his car, and went towards the other children gathered around their schoolteacher.

Mrs. Bean was firmly holding James and Magnus by their arm and looked very angry. James was crying whereas Magnus seemed perfectly fine. Alec knew immediately that James had done something to make Magnus make him cry.

''He said I was an asshole!'' James sobbed, wiping his tearful face with his hand.

The eyes of their schoolteacher widened and she gave a bewildered look at Magnus who calmly stared at her.

Alec agreed James was an asshole. Nobody liked him much as he was always bothering everyone.

''My mom said that only the truth hurts,'' said solemnly Sarah.

Summer nodded. ''He said that Magnus is only an adopted!'' she fervently defended him. ''That's why Magnus said that he's an asshole.''

''Summer you cannot say that!'' firmly rebuked Mrs. Bean. ''It's a bad word! It's forbidden!''

Everyone seemed to already know this word though.

''It's not forbidden,'' Magnus corrected with a frown. ''I heard people saying that in the TV.''

''Me too,'' said someone.

''My dad says asshole a lot when he talks about his boss,'' added Charles-Philippe with a bright smile.

Mrs. Bean looked at them with pursed lips. A lesson was needed and playtime ended earlier than expected. Magnus had his first punishment, in the corner, sitting on a chair, but it didn't prevent him to exchange smiles with Alec during the lesson on  _'why bad words should not be said even if we hear them in the mouths of others.'_

Later, when James painfully fell on the ground, no one suspected Alec who had made him trip.

''Serves you right,'' he simply murmured.

He did his best to look innocent and it seemed to work.

 

He couldn't hide his surprise when he saw his mother in the school yard. He was so surprised that he remained motionless and Magnus bumped into him. It had been a long time since she had picked him up and he was happy.

Magnus passed him, gave him a big smile and ran towards his mother, who was this time wearing a big red hat to match the red belt of her long black coat. She looked like an actress. Alec watched them for a moment. Magnus was speaking animatedly by waving his arms. Mrs Bane slid her sunglasses down her nose and looked lengthily at James and a grin appeared on her blood red lips. For a moment, she reminded Alec witches in cartoons and he hastened to join his mother who was waiting while Demetria Bane moved towards the little James and his father.

''Mom!'' Alec exclaimed, throwing himself on her.

Maryse smiled and Alec encircled her legs with his arms.

''You don't work today?'' he asked anxiously, looking up at her amused smile.

''Not this afternoon, I could free myself earlier today, dad will pick you again tomorrow,'' she said while stroking his hair.

She took his schoolbag and they crossed the yard toward the gate. Alec glanced back and saw that Magnus was watching him with curiosity, half hidden by his mother who was giving an earful to James and the education he had received.

Alec waved at him with a bright smile and took his mother's hand.

*

Izzy was singing a song -of which she distorted the lyrics- while combing the hair of a doll she didn't like. Maryse had given them back their toys for several days already but Alec's little sister still did as if they weren't there and were still confiscated.

''She's too proud, she gets that from me,'' commented Robert behind his newspaper.

Sitting on his cushion in front of the TV, Alec gave him a quick look and made sure that his dragon was always beside him.

''You could go and do some shopping tomorrow?'' asked his mom by putting a piece of paper on the table where was her husband. ''I'll take Alec to Magnus' place tomorrow and I won't have the time before or even after.''

Robert lowered his newspaper, took the piece of paper and Alec stood with his cushion. He knew it would get noisy and that he wouldn't be able to watch the TV quietly. He took refuge in the toys room where were waiting his dragon's minions and gathered an army to wipe out all the cuddly toys and Barbies of his sister.

*

For once, Maryse was ready before Alec and the little boy was shaken. He winced when his mother closed too fast his coat's zip and pinched a piece of his skin under the chin which made him whine, she rubbed it immediately to soothe the pain away.

''Here we go,'' she whispered while standing up.

''Your bag,'' reminded her Alec when he saw that she didn't take it.

She turned around, grabbed the handbag that was on the shoe rack and Alec went out jumping in with both feet the stairs while she closed the door. Once down, she grabbed his hand and looked at her watch. At the speed she walked, Alec knew that she was late.

They took the car and Alec looked at the landscape with jaded eyes, forehead pressed against the glass. Occasionally, Maryse looked in the rear-view mirror.

''You'll be good, right?''

Alec nodded.

''I'll pick you up tomorrow in the afternoon.''

Alec nodded and Maryse pulled into the driveway of a large and beautiful mansion. Both of them looked for a long time at the huge garden where the hedge and bushes were extremely well trimmed with, for some, animal forms. Then, the eyes of his mother converged on the house lavishly decorated with its huge staircases in each sides of a dark green wooden door.

Maryse and Alec's eye met in the rear-view mirror and she opened the door while Alec was watching with a slight frown, the metal bars with strange shapes along the stairs.

His mother looked as intimidated as him and also went up as slowly as possible in the cream stairs where could be seen darker streaks.

''It looks like marble,'' she murmured to herself with a frown.

Alec arrived first on the floor and jumped to press the black button surrounded by a golden diamond, then he hid behind her and stared at the door.

''It's beautiful.''

''I know,'' whispered his mother before looking at her watch.

A man, smaller than her, opened the door. He looked amiable and wore a pink tie with blue cats. Alec's mother gazed lengthily at it before raising her head whereas Alec stared at it speechless. The man in front of them was dressed like a classic businessman where only the tie -rather original- was discordant in his attire.

''Mrs. Lightwood I presume and you must be Alec,'' he said with a calm voice.

Maryse shook his hand and smiled whereas Mr. Bane glanced at Alec with a slight smile before letting them in.

There was a fountain in the middle of the living room and it shone everywhere. Alec blinked and looked up at his mother, who looked down at him.

''Be careful not to slip on the floor,'' she whispered looking at the smooth and shiny white floor.

Alec stared at his hazy reflection and looked up when he heard footsteps growing faster and becoming closer and closer. No wonder Magnus was always this fast at school, he could train in such a big house.

The latter appeared, a huge grin splitting his face where appeared two dimples and his eyes narrowed in a mischief way. Alec smiled, happy to see him.

''You're friend is here,'' Mr. Bane said in a please way. ''Do you want a cup of tea or something to drink?'' he asked politely but Maryse declined immediately.

''I'm already late, sorry, I really have to go. I'll pick him up tomorrow and call me if needed,'' she added while stroking her son's hair.

''The little Alec is already here, Leonard?'' asked a female voice upstairs.

Maryse grinned at Magnus, who stood shyly in front of Alec not daring to move, before raising his face toward the huge stairs where were hung a lot of portraits. Mrs. Bane went down the stairs nonchalantly on her huge heels, a smile just as wide as Magnus' one earlier.

''Demetria,'' she presented herself.

''Maryse,'' said Alec's mother, shaking her hand with a friendly smile.

The dark eyes of Mrs. Bane focused on Alec. ''Ready for two crazy days?'' she asked with a big smile.

Alec immediately nodded.

''I brought some clothes, my number is in the pocket if necessary, and I really have to go,'' said his mother while giving a small bag to Mrs. Bane.

''Everything will be fine,'' said Demetria with a reassuring smile. ''Isn't it, boys?''

But no one listened, Magnus had pulled Alec by the arm to show him the fountain. The latter followed him fascinated and leaned over the bronze rim, his fingers touching the water.

''There're fishes!'' he exclaimed noticing the orange and multicolored forms moving at the bottom.

And he plunged his arm in the water in order to touch one. Magnus' eyes widened.

''You're not scared to be eaten?''

''They won't,'' said Alec when he saw the fishes avoid his arm.

He moved his fingers and walked around the fountain, the arm still in the water. Magnus glanced hesitantly at the fishes and imitated him, with a worried expression. He finally relaxed when he saw that none of them were attacking him and smiled when a fish approached his hand.

They looked up when Mr. Bane approached them.

''And what if they were sharks?''

Magnus frowned. “What are sharks?” he asked.

Alec glanced uneasily at the fishes. Maybe they were sharks dressed up in simple big fishes. He slowly pulled out his arm from the water and Magnus did the same.

''It has big teeth and it eats fresh flesh,'' explained his foster father with a little smile.

Magnus cast a skeptical look at the fishes swimming in the bottom and narrowed his eyes.

''It's not true,'' Alec scowled. ''They can't be sharks.''

But he wasn't that sure and glanced uneasily at Magnus who nodded.

''You only tell that so that we don't touch them,'' he added.

Mr. Bane smiled and Maryse who was talking with Mrs. Bane moved closer to kiss Alec and finally left for good, not without throwing at him one last look. After closing the door, Magnus' mother ran as fast as she could towards them, a camera in hand.

''Smile!'' she ordered.

Alec and Magnus didn't even have the time to smile and they were blinded by a flash.

Mrs. Bane took the piece of paper that came out from her camera, shook it and looked at it with a satisfied smile. Her husband rushed on the photo and grinned under Alec's puzzled look and Magnus' jaded one.

''This is the first time a friend of yours comes here, sweetheart, we have to capture that,'' explained Mrs Bane while stroking Magnus' ebony hair.

''I'll get the album,'' said her husband.

''Don't forget the pen,'' she added before staring at the picture.

Magnus stared at her without saying anything and was again blinded by a flash.

''Here we go,'' Mr. Bane declared, returning with a large book he put on the small table next to the fountain.

He opened the album, took the photo in which he put glue, stuck it next to another one where Magnus was watching TV and wrote something.

''Don't forget the date,'' Demetria eagerly said, leaning over his shoulder. ''And put that one too, he was so cute, I couldn't resist.''

Mr. Bane looked at the second picture with a small smile. ''What should I write for this one?''

''Five minutes after his friend had been here.''

He hastened to write it under the eye more and more puzzled of Alec on them.

''We can go and play?'' finally asked Magnus before grabbing Alec's hand.

His mother looked up and made them a sign to go with her hand. ''Have fun my little pumpkins,'' she nonchalantly said. ''We need to make much more,'' she added to her husband who nodded.

Alec gave them one last look and followed Magnus who climbed up the stairs.

''Your room is upstairs?'' he asked, leaning on the golden handrail supported by the finely wrought iron along the steps.

Magnus nodded.

''How is it?'' he asked, continuing his mission to make him talk to improve his English.

Magnus gave him a weary look. ''They make me talk all the time! You too you want to make me talk? ''

Alec nodded and pulled the sullen look of the latter.

''You'll see.''

They came up the stairs and Magnus didn't let Alec catch his breath and pulled him in the corridor. They rushed into the spacious hallway with red and gold walls, where several identical doors gave the impression to Alec that he would get lost easily, then Magnus suddenly opened a door on the right and pulled him inside with a big smile.

Alec stared at the room, rather simple, despite the fact that it was vaster than his with warm colors. He felt more comfortable in this bedroom for children than in the rest of the house. It was spacious, filled with toys and furniture but this unknown place slightly intimidated the blue eyed boy.

Looking excited, Magnus sat on the round and soft carpet in the middle of the room and crossed his legs, inviting Alec to do the same -who did- after having closed the door.

''Your room is much bigger than mine and you have more toys,'' Alec stated.

Magnus, who had stood up to search something under his bed, came out with a big box, opened it and spilled the contents on the floor. Alec rushed on the building blocks whereas Magnus returned with alacrity under his bed to come out this time with a giant toy.

''This is my pterodactyl,'' he presented with a grin.

Alec looked up and stared at the strange creature. ''It's a dinosaur!''

Magnus frowned. ''It's a pterodactyl,'' he repeated.

Alec touched the wings and the head, then the snout. ''My dragon is much cooler.''

''You didn't bring him?''

''No, he's leading his army.''

Magnus smiled and looked somehow anxiously at his pterodactyl. ''I don't like him, he's always watching me with his eyes...''

Alec looked at the beady eyes of the dinosaur and took him before throwing him under the bed

''He won't annoy us, what do you want to build?''

Magnus lay on the stomach and mixed the colored pieces.

''We could build a castle for fishes,'' Alec suggested. ''I didn't see their houses in the water.''

Magnus who was assembling some red blocks together raised his yellow-green eyes. ''They never sleep, but maybe they can sleep if they have a castle.''

Alec nodded enthusiastically and the construction began.

The bedroom door suddenly opened and before they had time to raise their head a flash lit up the room.

''I got them,'' said the voice of Mr. Bane.

Alec threw at Magnus' parents a surprised look when they entered the room whereas Magnus was staring at them with scandalized eyes.

''Do you have fun?'' asked Mrs. Bane while holding her hands playfully.

Magnus gave her a weary look. ''We haven't even started.''

Mr. Bane raised again his camera and a flash crackled again.

''They're very photogenic,'' he said to his wife before giving her the photo.

''What's photogenic?'' Magnus asked with a frown.

Alec didn't know either but he was too busy to watch the strange tie of Mr. Bane and was trying to count the little cats.

The adults and children stared at each other, and with the way the boys were looking at them it seemed pretty obvious to them that their presence prevented them from playing as they wanted.

''It bothers you?'' asked Magnus' father.

Magnus didn't answer whereas Alec dared. ''Yes.''

Mrs. Bane smiled and took her husband's arm. ''We'll take pictures of them later,'' she whispered.

And they left as abruptly as they came.

''They always take pictures of me,'' sighed Magnus.

''What about building a dungeon for criminals?'' Alec suggested before lying on the stomach as well.

''What's a dungeon?''

''A prison in castles.''

Magnus repeated the word and they went back to work.

Alec enviously looked at what was doing Magnus. He was doing a lot better than him in his construction.

''Fishes won't be able to go inside,'' he pointed out the small opening in a green tower.

''They have to make themselves small,'' Magnus said with a shrug.

''You mean shrink?''

Magnus repeated the word and took what had been built by Alec to assemble what they have done together. The latter looked up and watched the toys that were on the shelves. There was a puppet, some books and the colorful cars he had accidentally given to him, carefully placed there.

''You still have them?'' he asked, pointing a finger at the little cars.

Magnus followed his gaze. ''Yes, it's a present and presents are precious,'' he recited.

Alec gave him a quick look and still not dared to tell him that it was more a misunderstanding than a present.

When Magnus had finished assembling their masterpiece, they rushed down carefully with their work in hands and went to the fountain.

They leaned over the edge and watched lengthily at the fishes. Magnus took a deep breath to calm down his excitement and glanced at Alec whose smile widened before dropping their castle. They followed its slow descent to the bottom and saw it swing, then one and two pieces rose to the surface.

They frowned and a pout appeared on their faces.

It didn't prevent them from continuing their decorative work and they sowed a lot of small objects in the fountain, including a crystal globe.

''That's better,'' said Magnus with satisfaction.

Alec's smile widened and a flash crackled. They turned into a single movement.

''I'll write for this picture, red-handed and before the punishment,'' said calmly Mr. Bane.

Magnus froze and cast an anxious glance at Alec who frowned.

''My koi carps are not toys,'' he explained. ''You're disturbing their environment...,'' he began reciting with a mournful voice, his eyes fixed on the fountain.

''They're not hurt,'' Magnus protested weakly before moving closer to Alec who immediately thought of the similarity between his friend and his little sister.

And Mr. Bane told them everything they had to know about koi carps, why they shouldn't be bothering them, what was their peculiarity, the type to which they belonged and then forced them to take back what they had sown in the bottom of the water.

''I don't want you to pollute their environment,'' he said.

Alec immediately plunged his arm in the fountain but his arm didn't reach the bottom, Magnus imitated him and after casting an anxious glance at the face of his adoptive father, leaned on the ledge and slid a leg in the water.

Mr Bane grabbed his shoulders. ''What are you doing?''

''Get what pollutes their environment,'' Magnus said in an obvious tone.

Alec looked up at the adult who pursed his lips. ''Not like this,'' he said.

''Then do it,'' Alec scolded him with a frown. ''I can't reach what's in the bottom and Magnus can't either.''

Magnus' father lowered his eyes to look at his sullen face and blinked.

''What are you doing?'' asked the incredulous voice of Mrs. Bane behind them.

She had in her hands a tray filled with cakes and with two large glasses of orange juice.

The situation might seem strange from her point of view. Magnus ready to dive into the fountain, Mr. Bane trying to hold him back whereas Alec was glaring at him, an arm in the water. Magnus' mother put the wooden tray on the table next to the fountain and ran over them.

''If you want to take a bath Magnus go to the bathroom and...oh, it's pretty! Did you do that with Alec?'' she marveled.

The children looked up at Mr. Bane who remained silent and the eyes of his wife focused on him.

''What's going on?''

''He doesn't like it,'' Magnus answered.

''He wants us to take back everything,'' added Alec.

''Stop with your fishes,'' murmured Mrs. Bane with narrowed eyes. ''It's very good like this my little puddings and it doesn't bother them, they're still swimming, look.''

''Not for long,'' grumbled her husband, casting a worried look at his carps.

''Leonard,'' hissed Demetria. ''Don't piss me off with your fucking carps.''

Alec and Magnus' eyes widened and her husband closed his mouth.

''Who wants some cake?'' she asked in a cheerful voice. ''But before, you have to change your clothes, you're soaked,'' she added before glaring at her husband who was removing their decoration from his beloved fountain.

In the bathroom, just as immense and bright as the rest of the mansion, Demetria Bane changed them and rubbed them with a towel. Alec looked at his new t-shirt with a pirate with satisfaction, while Magnus put his on. He immediately noticed his strange scar just below the heart, white and a little shiny, which stood out in a disturbing way with the color of his skin.

''Does he hate me?'' Magnus asked by pulling on his top.

Mrs. Bane blinked. ''Why would he hate you sweetheart? He just likes his carps a little too much that's all.''

''He's gaga?''

''Yes but we all are you too you'll be gaga over something later.''

''What's gaga?''

''When you like a thing a little too much.''

Magnus pondered at this new notion. ''I like pirates.''

''I like dragons,'' Alec said shyly.

''I love pearls,'' declared Mrs. Bane with a guilty smile. ''So Alec how's Magnus at school?''

''Summer likes him a lot,'' he answered, not knowing what to say.

Magnus frowned and put his pants on with the help of his mother, while Alec was tracing the drawings of his t-shirt.

''You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend,'' marveled his mom.

''She's not, she loves me alone, I didn't ask her to like me,'' he protested. ''Me, I love pirates and cakes.''

Alec nodded, he also loved cakes.

Mrs. Bane smiled. ''You'll love the one I baked.''

Indeed, Alec had the opportunity to see Magnus stuffed himself and was surprised to see him eating this much. At school, Magnus also ate a lot but right now he looked a lot like a baby tiger who hadn't eaten for a very long time.

Alec took a second piece of brownie and slowly ate it, his eyes focused on his glutton friend.

Later and after a chaotic afternoon where they had jumped around like overexcited chips, Mrs. Bane put them in the bath before giving them the right to watch TV. There was too much foam and Magnus made a big wave that splashed Alec in the face. The latter let his hands fall violently on the surface of the water which spatter Magnus who immediately closed his eyes.

Alec's eyes focused once again on his scar and stared at it.

''Be good, I'll get the camera my little pumpkins,'' said Mrs. Bane in a tired voice.

She had taken off her high heels, her hair was loose and she looked exhausted.

Alec and Magnus followed her with their eyes and when she had her back turned, began their water battle. Alec was winning, Magnus who was too busy to wipe his eyes whenever water landed on them, forgot to spray Alec who enjoyed himself wholeheartedly.

The bathroom was now flooded but they didn't care.

Magnus' mother returned slightly edgy and showed no surprise at the flooded floor.

''Smile!''

Magnus winced whereas Alec sprayed him one last time.

''You'll thank me later,'' she said with a huge grin.

And she disappeared after wiping her feet on the bathroom's carpet.

''Where were you before?'' asked Alec swinging some foam on Magnus who received it right in the face and blew on it.

''In Indonesia, outside.''

''Outside?''

Magnus nodded. ''I was living outside.''

Alec frowned. ''With your family?''

''No, I was alone.''

''Why?''

''Because I had nobody.''

''Why?''

Magnus shrugged. ''Maybe because they're dead, but someone found me when I was outside and I was adapted.''

Alec frowned. ''You mean adopted.''

Magnus threw at him a weary look. ''I said that.''

''No you said adapted.''

''No.''

''Yes.''

''No I didn't say that.''

''You did, I heard it.''

''You didn't hear that because I didn't say that.''

Alec sent him a wave and Magnus replied immediately, which dramatically emptied the tub.

When Mrs. Bane wiped them, Alec pointed out the scar in Magnus' chest and asked what it was.

Magnus immediately looked down at his scar and studied it for a long moment as if he was trying to remember how he had done that. His mother stroked it with her fingertips and hastened to kiss the boy's nose.

''I fell,'' he answered simply.

Mrs. Bane immediately sought to make them talk about other things and asked Magnus to describe what he saw.

''I speak English very well!''

Mrs Bane insisted and he complied with a grunt.

''I see Alec, he is as big as me, he has dark hair and they're wet. He's wet too and he has blue eyes, a nose, a mouth, a forehead and everything like me,'' he summed up to end this torture quickly.

He stared at him as if he was searching for something to add and carried on.

''And he has that when he smiles,'' he mimicked with a smile to make appear his dimples.

''Dimples,'' Mrs. Bane explained. ''I have dimples too,'' she added with a smile.

And Alec and Magnus looked at her dimples before going to watch TV.

While Magnus and Alec were watching a DVD, the latter's mother called to have some news and to know how their afternoon went.

''Alec is adorable, I'll be delighted to have him here as soon as possible. They had fun like little imps.''

Magnus frowned and slowly turned his head toward his mother. ‘‘What are imps?'' he asked.

Alec didn't answer, too busy to observe Mr. Bane feeding his carps.

''Alec?''

''I don't know how to explain that.''

Mrs. Bane went toward them with a slight smile and handed to Alec her phone that he automatically took.

''Your mom wants to talk to you.''

Alec stared at the much larger phone than his parents' with a frown and put it against his ear, while Mr. Bane went to Magnus to show him something in the fountain. The latter gave a last look at Alec and followed his father reluctantly.

''Mom?''

''Alec, do you have fun?'' asked his mother voice.

Alec nodded and sat on the soft carpet before lifting his head toward the TV screen.

''Yeah,'' he simply said.

''What did you do with Magnus?''

''We played but you know he still needs me, his English isn't perfect, he mixed up adapted and adopted.''

Magnus made a noise of protest and Alec turned without seeing him with the couch that was hiding him.

''And Magnus' mom and dad are weird, they take a lot of pictures and Magnus' dad is a little crazy with his fishes,'' he carried on while looking at his feet that he rubbed against the carpet.

Mrs. Bane chuckled. ''I'm not the only one who thinks you're crazy with your little fishes,'' she said to her husband who looked offended.

Magnus seemed to have the same opinion as Alec and his mother and went towards her while Alec decided to be a little more talkative with his mother on the phone.

The kids literally collapsed from tiredness on the carpet, in front of their cartoon and none of them woke up when a flash crackled and a  _'just one more'_  was said with a little too much enthusiasm. The TV was then turned off, the DVD came out, a cushion was placed under their heads and a blanket covered their body curled into a ball.

When Alec opened his eyes in the middle of the night, he wondered where he was and why everything was black. He then felt against his hand the unusual softness of a carpet, heard the sound of the water in the fountain and felt Magnus' breath against his cheek. The latter had crawled like a caterpillar against him during the night to get closer and to have some heat, and Alec, somehow, got comforted into this complete darkness in which they were immersed. He drew his head closer to his and felt Magnus' hair tickled his forehead. He blew on it and Magnus mumbled something, a mix of English and Indonesian, before nuzzling closer.

Alec smiled, he really had fun today and hoped he will again have a day like this one.

If Magnus and Alec's friendship grew stronger every day, something changed. A new character was introduced in Alec and his little sister's games: a dinosaur fond of fishes who wanted at all costs to capture mermaids. Izzy wasn't surprised of this new recurring character and rather found it to her liking, as long as her dolls could do tricks and live extraordinary adventures, she didn't care.

*

Izzy hopped happily holding hands with Maryse, while Alec was doing everything he could to free himself from the iron fist wrapped around his wrist. He wanted to run and jump, not holding the hand of his mother.

They were going to the park as Maryse was thinking that they weren't going outside much and were watching too much TV or some videos on the tablet. Alec gave up to free himself and removed immediately his hand when the hand around his wrist loosened. Izzy imitated him and squealed when she ran after him.

Their freedom was short-lasting and Maryse quickly put their hands back on them.

''It's dangerous here, there're many cars so hold my hand until we arrive.''

Alec scowled. ''You're the one to hold my hand.''

''I want to run with Alec,'' whined Izzy while wriggling to free herself.

Maryse held on until they reached the park and let them go with a relieved sigh. ''Don't fall and don't break anything.''

Izzy stumbled on the way to the swing, which made their mother gasped. Alec cast a quick glance at his sister and went in the opposite direction.

''Alec, that's for the tall ones, you're too small for these games, play here,'' she scolded him.

He turned to his mother who was showing him the baby games.

''I'm tall.''

Maryse smiled. ''Not enough for that, go for a swing ride with your sister, I'll push you.''

Izzy was already settled in the swing and was desperately moving her legs hoping that it would make it move. She lost a shoe in the heat of the moment and decided to throw the other one too.

''Izzy,'' said firmly Maryse after making sure that Alec was well installed.

The little boy cast a jaded eye on his little sister who was still shaking her feet. Their mother sighed and looked up at the sky before retrieving the lost shoes and putting them back on her daughter's feet.

''Don't you dare to remove them again and stop moving like this, it won't make it swing,'' she said before pushing her.

Then, she did the same with Alec, then Izzy, sometimes both at the same time until they finally start to smile when they gained speed.

And Izzy lost again a shoe that hit in the head a jogger who was running near the swing, which made Alec laugh.

When the park began to be more crowded, they went away and took the longest way to go back home. Alec didn't flinch when his mother took his hand and squeezed it, while Izzy preferred to take his.

''Don't let go of your sister.''

Alec had no intention of letting go and watched her pick up a branch, shook it in every way to bring down some leaves still on it and dragged it along the walls, the gates and the ground all along their way.

They walked in silence until Izzy let out a screech and pointed with her piece of wood a house in the neighborhood. They had stopped at a crosswalk and Maryse was making Alec count the number of the cars passing in front of them.

Seeing that she didn't attract their attention, she pulled Alec's arm who, in turn, pulled his mother.

''There's a cat!''

Alec dropped immediately his mom hand and was pulled by his little sister to a car parked in a driveway. They crouched and bowed their heads, and Izzy's black hair touched the ground where several leaves clung to it.

''Where's the cat?'' asked Alec with a frown.

And he saw a shape moving in the shadows near the front wheels. Alec immediately stepped back a little bit whereas Izzy reached out to attract the cat.

''Mom there's a cat,'' he said by touching the leg of his mother who had approached.

''Don't touch him Izzy,'' she said before crouching next to them.

Then, the cat came out, which made Alec stepped back. The cat looked evil and he sincerely doubted whether it was really a cat or not. He was in a poor condition and had one eye closed. The other was orange and threw at them a look as sour as was his crushed face. His dark fur was stuck to his body by a kind of black mixture where could be seen several wounds, infected for some.

''You're so cute,'' Izzy chirped before trying to pet him.

Maryse opened her mouth and the cat narrowed his eye before turning his head towards the little girl. He didn't react when Izzy's finger touched his nose and his whiskers but he hid again under the car when her hand tried to pet him a little more.

''Why the cat is like that?'' asked Alec to their mother, who stood back up and scolded Izzy for touching him.

''That's what happens when some people no longer care for their animals, maybe he got lost and never found his way home, or he escaped.''

''I want a kitty,'' declared Izzy.

But Izzy was showing with her finger the cat which meant that she didn't want any cat but this one. Alec crouched down again to look at him and saw an orange eye peered at him suspiciously. He was sad for him and wondered if he would find his way home one day while the cat, still staring at him suspiciously, licked his right paw.

''Alec too wants a cat,'' insisted Izzy.

He lifted his head with a frown. He didn't really want a cat and this one was a little scary. He looked at his mother, who still hadn't protest so far.

She bent down.

''Poor cat,'' she murmured while lengthily looking at him.

''And you too you want a cat,'' claimed Izzy while shaking her shoulder. ''Please, I'll be good I promise!''

''You say that each time you want a new doll.''

Their mom's eyes were focused on the cat still under the car and Izzy knew she had won when Maryse moved her fingers.

''Let's take him to a refuge,'' she softly said when she saw the cat moving.

Izzy pouted and crossed her arms while their mother took off the scarf she had around the neck and threw it on the cat before grabbing him firmly under the wide eyes of her children.

''Here we go,'' she said, carrying the cat wrapped in her scarf at arm's length as if he was radioactive.

Alec took his sister's hand and followed her. She glanced at them to make sure they were following.

The cat wasn't moving at all, he didn't react to anything and cast a jaded eye with his scowl face on everything around him.

''Mom, you're like the monkey in the Lion king when Simba is a baby,'' declared Izzy.

And she began to sing the song which accompanied this so important moment in the cartoon.

They were still in the street where they had found the cat when an old lady who had shopping bags stood in Maryse's way.

''It's the cat's church,'' she quavered. ''Where did you find him? I was looking for him for a while, I wondered where he had gone. He was no longer coming... I thought he got run over but he just changed neighborhood, you don't look fine,'' she added to the cat that didn't care.

Maryse threw a disgruntled look at the old lady who was talking too much to her liking, still carrying the cat as if he was a bomb.

''You're holding him in a funny way.''

''We'll adopt him,'' Izzy trumpeted while releasing the hand of Alec.

''We'll take him to a refuge,'' Maryse corrected. ''That's why we must go, hold your sister's hand Alec.''

But the refuge was far and required to take the car. The cat still didn't flinch, if not make some snarls, in his little basket in the car trunk.

Alas for Maryse and to the delight of Izzy, the nearest refuge was full which led them to the vet and on the edge of his adoption.

Izzy pleaded her cause with fervor while the vet quickly examined the cat who wasn't one-eyed actually, he had just got used to close his eye from an injury that had healed long ago. The cat twitched one ear and narrowed his eyes. Once washed and groomed, they discovered his beautiful gray and fluffy fur.

Maryse filled some papers, paid the consultation and bought enough to fill a small bag of medicines and products for the cat. The Lightwoods were now the proud owners of a jaded and sullen Persian cat.

Their mom looked at him while Izzy was squeezing him against her with a huge smile and rubbed her face against his head.

''He's not very responsive,'' she noticed.

The veterinarian nodded. ''He must be very patient and very quiet, he's getting old, I'd say that he doesn't have more than ten years. Follow my recommendations and ask for advice around you...it looks like he can bear children, so no worries.''

Alec dared to caress the cat under his sister's encouragements. He was soft and silky but he still felt uneasy with his orange eyes.

Once in the car, Maryse didn't start the car right away as if she was wondering what she had just done by adopting a cat.

''How do you want to call him?'' she finally asked. ''We won't call him forever the church's cat, right?''

''Church!'' exclaimed Izzy, the cat on her lap.

Alec, who was sitting to Izzy's right, gave a slightly anxious look at the church's cat who raised his amber eyes.

''You don't want a cat, Alec?'' asked his mother with a frown before turning toward him. ''Church is nice, see? He doesn't move at all.''

Izzy was fiercely petting the cat who didn't flinch.

''I don't mind,'' Alec said in a small voice.

And their mom started the car.

Sitting on his cushion in front of the TV, Alec watched his sister putting small hair clips on Church, around his bandages, and telling him a story in a shrill voice.

Then, they heard the familiar sound of the front door and the familiar steps of their dad in the hallway of the entrance. Suddenly, their mother, who was sitting on the couch, immediately rose to hide in the kitchen.

As usual, Robert put his suitcase against the couch after putting his coat away, then approached Izzy he had seen first. He froze and looked at the cat with a raised eyebrow, and stared at his wife who had her back turned.

''It's Church!'' introduced Izzy before kissing the cat's head.

''Church,'' he repeated, looking at Alec, then reached for the cat who sniffed his hand but he didn't touch him. ''Since when Church is there?''

''Since the refuge was full,'' said Maryse while setting the table.

Alec rushed over to help her and she handed him the plates one by one.

''He doesn't wear a protective collar or something like that?'' asked Robert.

''His dressings don't seem to bother him.''

Robert sat silently next to his daughter, staring at the cat and the small hair clips on his gray fur.

''He looks so grumpy.''

''But he's cute,'' Izzy protested in a defensive tone. ''Look!"

Their father didn't seem to mind the new presence of this grumpy cat.

As days went by, Church didn't change his behavior and was still as disinterested as ever in everything, except when Maryse gave him food. And he perfectly knew that if Izzy approached him, he would be covered with hair clips and couldn't make his toilet as he intended to do, so he hid in a secret place and only came out to eat. But sometimes, he watched them play with his jaded and orange eyes while leading a quiet cat life.

Church loved to play dead when Izzy approached him in order to be left alone. She had cried a lot the first time she saw him on his back, paws lifted, until he opened one eye and did as if nothing had happened.

Sometimes, when Izzy and Alec were in bed with the door ajar, Church crept inside. Then, the both of them held their breath in order to not scare him for Izzy, whereas Alec was playing dead only because he was still not very comfortable with this cat. And yet, it didn't prevent Church to choose him once.

The grumpy cat didn't really have a special place to sleep on, he usually slept where he wanted: on the couch, on the window sill of the living room or sometimes in the bathroom. Alec felt his fur tickled his face and he froze when his pillow sagged and Church's paw reached his neck.

This moment as rare as unlikely happened from time to time, to Izzy's delight who hoped that every night he would choose her.

*

Magnus looked with wonder at Alec, even Charles-Philippe. They were playing with the ball and Summer was turning around Magnus like a bee when Alec suddenly remembered that he had said to no one that he had a cat now.

The ball rolled and it was as if time had frozen.

''You have a cat?'' asked Magnus with wide eyes.

Charles-Philippe narrowed his eyes. ''You're not allergic?''

''No.''

He was then bombarded with questions about how Church was, under the envious eye of Magnus who couldn't have one with his father's carps.

Charles-Philippe's eyes widened when he heard the word fountain.

''There's a fountain in your living room?'' he asked while Summer was asking some questions to Alec.

At the end of the day, Magnus made Alec promise to show him Church shortly and waved his hand at him before joining his father who was wearing a classic business man suit without extravagant ties for once but red socks with pineapples for a change.

Alec joined his father and Izzy whose he was holding the hand. She had two braids with butterflies twinkling at their tips. She looked up at their father with a sullen expression.

''Carry me,'' she asked.

Robert sighed. ''No, you have legs, use them.''

Izzy's pout deepened. ''I'm tired, carry me...pretty please?'' she said before looking at him in an imploring way.

She had what she wanted and was now on his shoulders and threw on the world a very satisfied gaze.

''You'll rule over the world one day,'' sighed their dad who took Alec's hand before he could run away. ''Calm down, we're going to the park and you'll be able run as you want there.''

Izzy gave a cry of joy and pulled with a little too much enthusiasm on his hair, making him wince while Alec was trying to walk as fast as him.

When they arrived at the park with children's games, Izzy squirmed to get down and ran after Alec to do everything like him.

''Wait,'' she whined, panting.

Alec slowed down and grabbed the hand she held out before taking her to the fort with a slide. He climbed on the net as fast as he could and waited for her to do the same. They went up and down the fort many times but Alec was not entirely satisfied and threw an occasional glance at the fort for the older ones where he knew he had no right to go.

On top of the slide, he could see everything and saw his father on the phone, on a bench, smoking. Izzy had spotted him too.

''He mustn't smoke, mom doesn't want him to smoke.''

''Shhh, it's a secret,'' said Alec which made her nod.

Then, he ran down the slide and Izzy followed him as quickly as possible before going after him to the bigger fort. She looked hesitantly to the much larger play place and the much bigger slide, everything was bigger and more intimidating.

Alec got on the board swaying to reach the first platform.

''I'm scared,'' Izzy said while fiddling her braids.

''Go to the swing then.''

''I want to play with you.''

''Take my hand then.''

Thing she did immediately. Alec didn't have as much fun as he would have if he had been alone but still helped his sister many times, even in the slide where Izzy put her hands over her eyes before finding it fun.

He stopped to look after her when she could redo everything almost alone.

They were playing a chase game where Izzy was a thief who had stolen all the diamonds in the world -stones she had put in her tights and in the pockets of her dress- and Alec was a policeman who had to catch her.

Izzy gave a screech when he nearly caught her and crawled into the tunnel to reach another wooden platform. Alec hadn't left the tunnel yet when he suddenly saw his sister stumble on the platform where there were two holes on each side : one with a vertical and smooth bar and a rope for the other one.

Under his horrified eyes, Izzy toppled into the void where the bar was. She didn't cry, she didn't scream, but he heard a thud in the gravel. He didn't look or didn't check on her, he rushed directly on the slide, pushed the other children and landed on the ground before running towards her.

Isabelle was sitting on her backside where she had fallen, the legs on the sides. She was holding her right arm in a curled position. Alec rushed over her.

''Izzy!''

He plopped down beside her and saw that her tights were torn, she had lost all the diamonds and one of her butterflies in her fall. His little sister wasn't crying and seemed to still be in shock, but she gave him as she could her painful arm.

It was swollen.

Alec knew immediately that something was wrong and got up. ''I'll get dad.''

He ran towards his father as fast as his legs allowed him and as soon as he saw him, Robert threw his cigarette on the ground and violently crushed it under his foot.

''Dad you have to come, Izzy fell, she's hurt.''

Alec didn't think about the fact that they would get scolded for having played on the fort for the older ones and only thought about the matter after and with a wince.

When his dad saw Izzy on the ground holding her arm, he rushed on her to see what she had. He remained speechless at the sight of her arm that he gently held by the wrist and immediately scanned her face. She wasn't crying, not yet at least. But it was well known that Isabelle Lightwood was like a time-bomb when it concerned tears. It was just a matter of time.

In less than two, she was in his arms.

''Go get your schoolbag Alec, we're going home,'' he said in a loud and firm voice.

For Alec, his father always used this tone when he was angry. It wasn't the case, Robert was just panicking but Alec couldn't see it.

Once he got back his schoolbag, Alec had to struggle to keep pace with his father who was walking by leaps and bounds. Robert squeezed his son's hand when they had to cross the pedestrian crossing without the light authorizing them to do so and they were soon back home.

''Keep your shoes,'' he declared when he saw him beginning to take his shoes off, while still holding his sister in his arms.

He put Izzy on the table and went into the kitchen to get an ice bag and a dishcloth that he wrapped around her arm and disappeared into the corridor.

Alec and Izzy exchanged glances.

''It hurts,'' she murmured.

Still in the entrance, Alec looked at Church getting nearer with his perpetually sullen face and he disappeared under furniture.

Their father reappeared with Mr. Cuddly Toy that he gave to Izzy who didn't protest with a  _'I'm too big for a cuddly toy'_ and took it with her good arm, while he took her back in his arms.

''We'll take the car,'' he said.

Alec didn't ask where they were going and blindly obeyed.

''You didn't close the door,'' he reminded him, which made him swear before doing so.

His dad swore again when he had to adjust the driver's seat and cast a glance behind to see how Izzy, who was still quiet, was doing. She was not tied into her seat and Alec did it for her before putting Mr. Cuddly Toy on her lap.

It was only and once in the parking lot of the hospital that Izzy began to cry as if she had just realized how serious it was. Alec wasn't reassured either but he didn't really mind as he knew they weren't there for him and that there was nothing to fear.

The dishcloth and the almost melted ice pack remained in the car while Izzy was getting a cast.

She stopped crying when their father bought princess stickers to stick on it, with a tiara and plastic jewelry.

Izzy literally beamed and quietly stuck one by one the stickers on her cast. Her tiara slipped numerous times from her head but Alec's sister wanted to wear it and firmly held it into her hair.

''A real princess,'' said Robert while going out from the car.

Alec sighed and his father did the same while Izzy rushed into the house to show Church her new cast.

Maryse looked with wide eyes, when she came back from work, at Izzy who proudly raised her arm covered with stickers and showed her all the princesses.

''What happened?'' she asked her husband.

''She fell, it happens.''

Alec waited for his father to develop and to say where it had happened in particular but he didn't explain further.

''What do you mean she fell?''

''Mom, look it's Rapunzel,'' Izzy chirped showing the princess on her cast and ran to the couch to get her tiara. ''Mom look.''

''I'm looking,'' she murmured, heading toward Alec and grabbed his face in her hands to drop a loud kiss on his forehead.

Alec, who was cutting something on the table, winced.

''You didn't break anything,'' she said. ''Where's Church?''

Alec glanced at the couch where could be seen a fluffy tail hanging out. His mom smiled and went into the kitchen.

Church became strangely affectionate with Izzy. He let her pet him, pamper him, put hair clips on his fluffy fur -with Robert’s help- and even curled on her lap when she began to doze off in front of the TV. Their mom immediately immortalized the moment with a picture on her phone.

That night, Izzy was chosen and she was for several consecutive days. Church followed Robert when he laid her in the bed in front of Alec, already in his, who looked at the cat curled against his sister. He looked away when Church stared back at him with his amber eyes and hid under the sheets.

Following this incident, Alec no longer wanted to play in the fort for older ones and Robert never touched again a single cigarette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the mistakes as always and thank you for your comments and kudos ! :)


	3. The witch and a jealous Izzy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, sorry for the wait ! :)

Alec was counting his dinosaurs. Three were missing. Without the three of them, his dragon couldn't conquer the enemy territory.

He heaved a sigh, stood up and opened the toy box. At the sight of all these toys, he disheartened to slide his arm inside to find his dinosaurs. He glanced at Church who was staring at him with his orange eyes, in Izzy's doll stroller. Church loved to lay there and to watch them play with his scowling face.

''It's you who took them?'' he suspiciously asked the cat.

Church threw at him a weary stare and licked his right paw. It was very possible that it was him, Izzy still hadn't found her little bag full of hair-clips with what she did the tomcat's hair.

''Did you eat them?''

Church narrowed his eyes.  He had just confessed and Alec deeply felt betrayed.

''Mom feeds you all the time,'' he complained with a frown.

Determined, he decided to surround the stroller, in which was the cat, with his dinosaurs, his tanks and everything he could find to complete the circle, under the attentive gaze of the cat who moved his fluffy tail.

Alec knelt down in front of him and waved his dragon. It was judgement time. Church followed his dragon with the eye and blinked before looking at the little boy.

''You have eaten three important members of my army,'' he declared with a low voice. ''What do you have to say for yourself?'' he asked while moving his dragon closer towards the cat's head.

The latter seemed willing to give a paw to his toy, as reflected the little move in his left paw and the sparkle that crossed his amber eyes, but he gave up and narrowed them.

''Speak, you're surrounded.''

Church yawned.

''You were hungry,'' answered Alec for him. ''Mom doesn't give you enough food but it doesn't matter, because you're still guilty!''

Church straightened up and moved his ears, and Alec was suddenly held by his mother who just came back from work. She was cold and smelled like autumn, her long dark hair tickled his face and her perfume wrapped him, making him groan.

''I'm in the middle of a trial!'' he protested while Maryse loudly kissed his cheek.

''Who did what?'' she asked with amusement after noticing the setup.

Alec moved away from her embrace and wiped his cheek, which earned him another kiss on the other cheek with a pretty lipstick mark.

''You're guilty too,'' he said by holding up his dragon. ''And stop kissing me.''

''Where's dad and Izzy ?'' she asked while getting up.

''Izzy I don't know and dad's working.''

''Church is innocent,'' said his mother before leaving the room. ''Cats always are.''

Church chose this moment to go down the stroller while destroying in his path the toys circle around him, and without a glance for Alec, left the room to follow his mom.

''You could have waited the end of the trial,'' Alec grumbled before sitting down and cleaning up his toys.

Alec looked up when he heard his father's laugh which distracted him in his invasion. He was supposed to work in his study. He lent an ear when he heard his parents' footsteps in the corridor. His mother was also laughing. He didn't pay attention to them any further and catapulted his sister's doll on his castle that didn't look like a castle. Magnus was much more talented than him in building games.

He began to think about him and frowned when he heard small and hurried footsteps in the corridor, then the door opened noisily on Izzy, short of breath, who seemed to have done something bad. She had a twinkle in the eye and a smirk on the lips that couldn't deceive anyone. He gazed at her for a moment and watched her cast which was literally buried under princesses’ stickers. For once, she wasn't wearing her tiara.

''Where's your tiara?''

Izzy stepped forward in a weird way as if she was hiding something under her colorful striped dress. And effectively, three packets of lollipops fell at her feet.

''Mom bought lollipops,'' she explained.

Alec could tell. He crawled on the carpet and took one of the three packets. ''Can I have one?''

Izzy nodded and bent down to grab the others. ''If you don't tell.''

He was about to open the packet in his hands when they heard footsteps. It was their father and the door of their toys room was wide open. Izzy quickly picked up the lollipops, grabbed the packet in her brother's hands and hid them under her dress, and for a much better hiding place and because of the panic sat on it, under the stunned stare of Alec.

''Izzy !''

Now, he didn't want a lollipop anymore.

Both of them, staring at the door, expected that Robert would carry on his path and go shut himself up in his study but no, he stopped in front of their room and gave them a big smile before coming in.

The packets under Izzy's buttocks made a little crumpling noise, forcing her to stay still. They were both motionless, staring at their father, not very natural and even less innocent.

And then, Alec noticed in his dad's hands his sister's tiara.

''What kind of princess forgets her tiara?'' the latter loudly asked.

But she couldn't move, otherwise she would reveal her wrongdoing, of which Alec was now accomplice when he rose to take the tiara from his father's hands. The latter stared at them with a frown and almost refused to give the tiara to him.

''What's wrong?'' he asked.

Izzy looked nervously at her big brother who winced before managing to take the tiara from his father's hands.

''We were playing, you disturbed us,'' Izzy whined, her head turned toward them, which gave her an odd position.

Robert squinted and closed the door behind him. Alec began to panic and looked in a distraught way at his sister.

''What did you do? You can tell me.''

Izzy moved and the lollipops crunched under her behind.

''I did nothing,'' murmured weakly Alec.

It wasn't a lie, it was his sister who had stolen them, not him, even if he wanted one. And he knew very well that they could never admit a mistake to their father, he was too scary when he scolded them.

''Why do you sit this way?'' Robert suddenly asked Izzy who widened her eyes.

Alec sighed, he perfectly knew what awaited them: no more lollipops. Their mother had stopped buying them for a while, following Izzy's thefts who ate them in secret. He really wanted one now that he had seen them but he knew that soon they would be confiscated.

The door opened and bumped into Robert who stepped forward, making Alec stepped back who came up to his sister, always sitting in her strange position.

Maryse stared at them and with a particular attention at her daughter. She had tied her hair and was wearing the apron Alec had made at school. He had drawn a dragon, several dinosaurs and Magnus had helped him to draw the castle and the princess who had no hair, with flowers in the sky ' _because moms love flowers'_ , he had said.

''A little mouse went into the kitchen and all the lollipops are gone,'' she simply said. ''Did you see them?''

Izzy blinked. ''Church must know.''

''We all know,'' said Robert. ''You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you, but you have the right to stand up.''

''Where are the lollipops?'' asked quietly Maryse.

''I don't know.''

''You really don't know?''

Izzy shrugged and smiled to soften their mother. She knew how to act cute and used it as a weapon. Alec walked slowly toward the exit to go to the living room, leaving his sister and the lollipops behind but his father stood in his way with his leg and took him in his arms.

''You're also a suspect.''

Alec didn't try to struggle, even if he was uncomfortable in his father's arms. Resigned, he rested his chin on his shoulder before wrapping his arms around his neck that he squeezed.

''Dad ?''

''Hmm ?''

''Why do you hug a suspect?''

''To not let him escape and because he's my son.''

''It's not very professional,'' Alec said very seriously.

Maryse snorted and threw at them an amused look whereas Izzy heaved a sigh. She clearly had enough and no longer wanted to sit on the lollipops because of her sore behind. She finally gave in and lifted one buttock under the dismayed eyes of her mother.

''You sat on them...''

She bent down to pick up the packets and then noticed that one of them was open, she looked up and Izzy stared back at her.

''Where are they?''

Izzy didn't answer, Maryse sighed and searched her dress pockets. Alec, that his father had put down, found that there were many things in his sister's pockets: a string, three hair clips, a hairband, one of his lost dinosaurs -which earned her a black look- and four lollipops.

''Izzy,'' murmured their mom. ''You could have have one lollipop tonight after dinner and Alec too, you'll have nothing at all and it's your fault.''

A pout appeared on the little girl's lips who watched her mother confiscate the lollipops.

''And you'll be punished for lying and as this is not your first theft of lollipops, you'll stay in the corner for half an hour...you did it again and it's bad,'' added their father by taking her by the shoulders.

Alec and his sister's eyes met. She didn't look to care at all and Alec found it weird. Izzy was taken to the living room and placed in the corner near the TV with the mission to reflect on her misdeeds.

Head up against the wall and straight as an i, Izzy quietly remained in her corner while Maryse returned to the kitchen after giving her a long look and Robert returned into his study.

Alec found it weird that she didn't turn around to watch TV or to watch Church who was lying next to his cushion. He finally understood when he saw her turn around, a lollipop in her mouth. He blinked and opened his mouth, surprised. Their mother had found only four lollipops on five that Izzy had hidden on her. She brightly smiled at him and turned to quietly eat it in her corner.

*

Alec winced when his mother put some cream on his swollen cheek. Izzy gave him a sheepish look.

''Mom, give him a band-aid with princesses.''

''I don't want any band-aid,'' protested Alec while giving to his mother an imploring stare.

She reassured him straight away. ''You don't need one,'' she said before shutting the tube of cream.

Maryse was still wearing her coat and still had her high heels on, usually she left them in the entrance but warned by Alec's cry of pain when Izzy had accidentally hit him with her cast, she had rushed into their room.

It was the first time that Alec had gotten hit with her cast unlike his parents who, every time they took Izzy in their arms or put her in the car, got hit regularly. Even during bed time when they kissed her to say good night, Izzy hugged them back with too much enthusiasm, and clumsy as she could be sometimes, kicked them in the face.

''Izzy, dad and me we already told you to be careful with you arm.''

The little girl sighed and waved her cast. ''I'm sick of it, when I won't have it anymore?'' she whined while stamping her feet.

Maryse stared at her, noticing her frustration. Izzy couldn't really play like before, hit everyone accidentally and was fed up with her cast even if it was covered with princesses’ stickers, thing she had done with Robert to make it more bearable.

''Soon.''

''When is soon?'' she asked plaintively and on the verge of tears.

''Soon,'' answered Alec as if it was obvious.

And Izzy began to sob, earning a frown from her mother and a stare from her brother.

Alec took advantage of his mother's inattention to go away an ran toward the living room to watch the TV, while Church hearing him coming went to hide under the couch.

 

The day after, Alec's cheek was still slightly swollen but no longer red. And Robert had a pretty bump on the forehead. They stared at Izzy with weariness, who was eating her cereals while shaking her head -to make her pigtails move- to the beat of an imaginary song. Maryse heaved a sigh and stroke Alec's cheek.

''Eat Alec or you'll be late.''

Alec didn't like those cereals, they were his sister's favorite not his. They were too sugary and tasted like medicine.

''You're not looking forward to see Magnus?''

Alec looked up from his bowl. ''I do.''

''Then, eat your cereals.''

Alec stared at his bowl with a wince.

''If you don't eat you'll never grow up,'' said his father.

Alec glanced up and wondered if he really would never grow up if he didn't eat those cereals. Izzy chose this moment to catapult a spoonful of cereals on the floor, spraying herself with milk.

''Oops,'' she said with a wince-grin.

Alec felt something brush his feet and bent down to see Church under the table watching their feet with his narrowed amber eyes.

The breakfast became chaotic but Alec managed to finish his bowl of cereals but came late in school, under a cold wind which made his father wince and happy to drop him off in the kindergarten to go to work where it was warm.

Alec was welcomed by Ms. Toccarro who took his schoolbag and tried more or less to take his scarf off that Maryse had too well tied up, fearing that he would catch a cold. Bundled up inside, Alec smiled at the sight of the schoolteacher having a hard time to take it off.

His smile widened when he saw Magnus coming near the lockers. But the latter couldn't see that he was smiling as his face was hidden underneath the scarf. Only his eyes, narrowed in a joyful way, were visible.

Short of breath, Ms. Toccarro lifted her head and frowned when she saw Magnus.

''Magnus, go back with the others! I told you that Alec would be late, and look, he's here so go back inside!''

But Magnus didn't move and stayed where he was and stared at his friend with a big smile. Ms. Toccarro sighed with relief when she finally managed to take his scarf off.

''Tell your mom that you're running the risk to die of suffocation than freeze to death if she carries on with the way she ties your scarf as she did,'' she explained while taking his coat.

Alec stared at her wondering if he really had to say that to his mom and Magnus took his hand to bring him inside the classroom while Ms. Toccarro ruminated.

''What's on your cheek? You're hurt?'' asked Magnus while moving his face closer to his.

Alec automatically touched his cheek. ''My sister hit me.''

Magnus frowned and sat on his plastic chair, and Alec did the same before taking a paper and a pencil in the pot.

''How's Church?'' asked Magnus.

Every day he asked the same question. Alec shrugged and told him how Church was so alike the cat in the tales book his mother' often read to him before going to bed. Magnus nodded, stuck his tongue out and began to draw a big cat on a piece of paper.

Alec grinned and noticed his black sweater with a red car over and put a finger on it. Magnus lowered his head and looked at his finger with a puzzled eye.

''My mom has this car,'' he clarified.

''My parents have several of them,'' Magnus said before talking about his favorite cartoon.

They drew -as they could- their favorite characters on the back of their sheets and Alec lifted his head and met Summer's eye.

''Summer is looking at you.''

Magnus looked up with a frown. ''I don't want her to like me,'' he scowled when he saw her coming toward them.

Summer was pretty today, she brightly smiled at Magnus and sat next to him to draw. The two boys watched her take a piece of paper, a pencil and draw a figure that looked strangely like Magnus. She added herself, a large and beautiful house and a big heart in the sky just above them. Alec and Magnus stared at each other, one with amusement and the other with weariness. Fortunately for them, Charles-Philippe loudly came to their table to show his incredible drawing, which earned him Summer's glare.

James immediately went to their table and each of them had the reflex to protect what they had created from the destructive hands of the turbulent boy he was. He tore Summer's drawing under her horrified eyes who immediately pushed him away with anger.

Charles-Philippe gave a cry of joy when, after James had pulled Summer's long braids, the little girl retaliated by giving him a big kick in the knee that made him writhe in agony.

Magnus blinked while Alec stood up to go fetch Ms. Toccarro who was nowhere to be found. He finally found her in the reserve, the arms hindered with rolls for their activities.

''Summer and James are fighting,'' he declared.

Ms. Toccarro flinched and turned over with wide eyes. ''What ?''

She sighed heavily, dropped what she was holding and ran into the classroom. Alec remained in the reserve and looked at the shelves filled with really cool things before poking here and there in search of something special. He was soon joined by Magnus.

''What are you doing ?'' asked the latter.

''Nothing,'' Alec said while Magnus was taking by the arm to go back in class.

The day was nightmarish for Ms. Toccarro, as Ms. Wood and Mrs. Bean were sick, she had to take care by herself of an entire classroom of twenty rampaging children who perfectly knew that they could do more things than usual.

Alec looked at Magnus, Charles-Philippe and the others jumping on the tables while he was seriously trying to create a volcano with modeling clay. He was alone with the schoolteacher, also sitting on the carpet, with a defeated look of someone overwhelmed by the situation.

Nothing could be done. The promises of punishment, the lack of recess and games didn't prevent them from messing around.

Alec was now trying to create a lot of dinosaurs with the modeling clay in front of him. Ms. Toccarro stared at him for a moment and he looked up.

''Mrs. Bean doesn't scream, right ?'' she said but as if she was talking to herself.

''No, she doesn't need to,'' Alec replied.

''But I'm not Mrs. Bean,'' she declared before standing up under the boy's curious stare. ''SIT DOWN !'' she suddenly shouted in a deep and powerful voice.

All the kids froze and Alec's eyes widened. Ms. Toccarro was sweet and calm usually, that was why all of them were looking at her with bewilderment. The class was silent now and all the children's attention on her, which made her smile with satisfaction.

''Now,'' she softly said with her usual voice. ''We have to make an experience with a volcano so please sit next to Alec and make a circle.''

Magnus was the first to sit beside him, breathing heavily with shining eyes, disheveled hair, and a slightly damp forehead.

''Did you have fun ?'' Alec asked while crossing his legs.

Magnus nodded and they could begin their experience under Alec's skeptical gaze who saw his dinosaurs, that he had made with love, be used for trees around the volcano. He didn't dare to tell Ms. Toccarro what they really were, afraid to be yelled at.

Magnus laughed when Alec told him the trees were actually dinosaurs, which showed his dimples, and he took a small piece of modeling clay to show him how to make a real one. And yet, Alec found his more alike whereas Magnus' ones looked more like a pine trees.

 

Alec didn't repeat what had said the schoolteacher about the scarf and looked at his mother who was humming while putting on makeup in the bathroom.

Izzy beamed. ''You're pretty,'' she chirped with Church in the arms.

His back legs and his tail were touching the floor and he looked so uncomfortable in her arms that Maryse gave him a worried look.

''Maybe Church wants to play or eat,'' she said.

It was her way to say that Izzy had to leave him alone.

''No,'' Izzy declared while shaking the cat who could only blinked.

Maryse sighed, took her perfume and put some on. Alec moved closer and sniffed the smell while Izzy left, wearing Church like a sack of potatoes.

His mom knelt down and tried to do his disheveled hair. ''Dad and me we're going out tonight so you'll have to be good with Hodge and to look after your sister.''

Alec's eyes glowed with excitement. He loved Hodge, his parents' friend, who occasionally was their nanny when needed.

''We're going to see Hodge?''

''He's back from vacation, which means that you must be extremely careful with all the books and trinkets that he has brought back, okay?''

Alec didn't know if she said that because they had nearly been crushed by a pile of books once when they had played being explorers in a jungle of books, or for Hodge who really cared for his belongings.

''Okay,'' he simply replied.

Maryse smiled and sat up, and Alec ran to join her sister in the living room where she was playing to be a tiger tamer with Church.

''We're going to see Hodge!'' he exclaimed, kneeling beside her.

He didn't have to wait for his sister's reaction : her eyes widened and her mouth made an 'o', then a screech crossed her lips. Panicked, Maryse rushed into the living room and rolled her eyes when Izzy ran to her.

''We're going to see Hodge ?'' she asked with a shrill voice by jumping on her legs, and unwittingly gave a stroke with her cast in her kneecap while hugging her legs.

It was as if they had been promised Disneyland but Hodge was for much better than this promised land for children.

If for Alec Hodge's place was so fun, it was because it reminded him of adventures and discoveries in his huge house. A big old mansion, perfect for games like hide-and-seek or to play explorers. For Izzy, it was a different story. Hodge reminded her of magic and secrets. She firmly believed that Hodge was a witch, otherwise why would he have a crow, tons of old books and old objects in his house which looked like a manor ?

Izzy was his biggest fan. Hodge was for her the supreme witch who oddly didn't do magic at all in their presence, so she quietly spied on him, hiding as she could, looking for any evidence of his powers.

Hodge enjoyed himself as much as they did whenever they came, even if sometimes he grumbled when he had to play the nannies for his longtime friends, but he was always happy to do it.

Izzy let out another sharp scream and rushed into her room to pack her bag to take to Hodge's place.

Maryse then wearily looked at Alec. ''You'll be good, right ? Especially if you want to go there again one day...he already doesn't go out a lot...,'' she mumbled for herself while going to finish to prepare herself.

Alec laid down on the carpet to observe Church who was hiding under the couch and followed his mother's feet walking away. He knew that she was worried about Hodge. He was living as a recluse, had not many friends and their parents wanted him and his sister to be kind and good with him.

Church narrowed his eyes and moved closer. They were so close to each other that Alec could feel the cat's whiskers tickled his cheeks.

''How's cat life ?'' he asked gently stroking his right front paw.

Church made a funny noise, a mixture of meowing and a growling, which made the boy squint and straighten up.

''What are you doing ?'' asked Maryse before putting on her earrings.

''I'm reaaaadyyyy !'' Izzy shouted while running to the front door with her Barbie little backpack.

''We're not leaving yet,'' sighed their mom before readjusting her black dress.

''Where're you going?'' asked Alec after noticing that she had put on her finest jewelry beads.

''At the restaurant.''

''With dad?'' Izzy asked while trying to put on her shoes, sitting on the floor. ''I want to go, and Alec too. Why we can't come?'' she inquired between two sighs which reflected the intense effort that she put to put her shoes on.

''Because Hodge needs friends,'' Alec stated.

Maryse chuckled whereas Izzy frowned and looked up at him.

''He's not our nanny ?'' she asked her mother.

''Not really, he's dad's friend and mine and he likes you that's why he agrees to keep you from time to time.''

Alec threw at her a skeptical gaze. ''He doesn't need friends ?''

''Everyone does, why ? You want to be his friend ?''

''I don't know,'' Alec seriously answered.

A friendship with an adult could be very hard and he wasn't sure if he wanted to be friend with him as he already had his own friends. But he had to admit that it was fun to be at his place.

''Maybe,'' he added.

 

Izzy couldn't hide her excitement and squeezed her favorite book :  _Bunny the witch,_  against her. She was wearing her tiara, her cast covered with stickers was shining, and she was moving her feet cheerfully while looking through the car window.

Maryse turned over to look at them to make sure for the umpteenth time that they were tied and settled comfortably in their seats. And Alec accidentally saw his father's affectionate gesture on his mother's thigh. His hand remained a long time on the black fabric of her dress and Maryse left hand affectionately landed on her husband's one.

Alec winced, looked away as if he had seen something he shouldn't have and looked out the window before pressing his forehead against the glass.

''When we'll get there?'' he asked wearily.

He felt as it had been an eternity and that it would never end.

''Soon,'' said his father.

Three seconds later, Izzy asked the same question. Again and again until Robert let out an exasperated groan.

''You'll see when we get over there!''

''There we are,'' sighed with relief Maryse. ''Izzy you promise to be good? And don't bother the crow nor Hodge.''

Izzy tried to stick her face against the window despite her seat belt but had to give up and let out a squeal of protest that made Alec snort. Hodge was outside, waiting for them. It was dark and the headlights and the house's lights gave to the house a disturbing look that delighted Alec and his sister. The latter leaned back in his seat to avoid being seen and Izzy did the same with a big smile, and her tiara fell on her nose.

Robert parked the car in the driveway and threw at them an intrigued and surprised look as they didn't make a sound.

''You don't want to go out?'' asked their mother while untying herself.

''Hide-and-seek begins now,'' Alec murmured before holding back his breath.

As if it would help him to hide better.

But their parents didn't agree and brought them out of the car.

''You'll play hide-and-seek inside,'' Robert sighed.

Alec threw at his father a weary look. ''You're not fun,'' he mumbled.

Izzy nodded, and once free, ran toward Hodge who came down the few steps between them.

''Nanny,'' she shrilly squealed before flowing into his arms.

Abashed, Hodge took Izzy in his arms, who arrived like a cannonball, and got hit in the nose with her cast when she wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him tightly.

Alec ran towards him as well with a huge grin, without looking at his parents and threw himself at his legs, which made the poor man wince, stormed by two excited kids.

''That's crazy how much you've grown little monsters,'' he marveled while looking at them.

''I missed you !'' chirped Izzy, sticking her cheek against his.

''Where were you ?'' Alec asked, the face raised to better look at him.

Hodge smiled and ruffled his hair. ''In Europe and I hope that you have been good because I may have gifts for you.''

Alec nodded whereas Izzy hesitated. It was better not to lie to a witch.

''You weren't?'' he asked in an amused tone after seeing her pout.

''I tried but it's hard, '' she admitted with a sheepish tone.

''Hey nanny,'' Robert greeted his friend.

Hodge smiled, put Izzy on the ground and gave him an embrace. Alec winced when his mother tried to do his hair again.

''It's Hodge,'' he complained while fleeing her hand.

He then watched his parents and Hodge talk and frowned when he realized it was going to be long. Furthermore, it was cold outside which didn't seem to bother the adults. Izzy approached him in her pink puffy coat and Alec took her hand.

''Let's go inside, '' he murmured, and his sister's eyes sparkled.

''Give me a kiss,'' said their mother before holding them back.

''You're finally leaving?'' asked Alec with relief, the hand on the large imposing gate, decorated with interlaced iron bars.

Maryse narrowed her eyes, grabbed his face and gently pressed on his cheeks which made him look like a fish before loudly kissing him on the nose.

''Mom !'' whined Alec with a wince. ''I'm too big for kisses!''

''You'll never be too big for kisses,'' she stated while staring at him and before kissing Izzy who begged for another marking kiss.

Izzy beamed when their father told her that she was covered with lipstick under the amused stare of Hodge who opened the door, and Alec rushed inside.

He hastened to take his shoes and his coat off that he carefully put on the floor in the entrance and then trotted to the large living room.

Even though, Hodge lived alone in this big house, there wasn't a feeling of emptiness. Every part, every corner was decorated, filled or invaded by varied objects that he had collected or brought back from his travels. And then there were all his books... Hodge Starkweather was a bookseller and an antiquarian, which explained why his work had invaded his house.

For Alec, this place was an amazing place where he could play and pretend to read big dusty books as if it contained the knowledge of the world.

He remained puzzled in front a weird object, apparently new, on the ground in the living room, which made him crouch down for a better look. It had no shape, was in metal and it was weird looking. Alec touched it with the fingertip, it was cold.

He looked up when he heard a little noise and saw Hodge's crow observing him. The bird was perched on the back of a massive reddish brown wooden chair. The little boy and the crow stared at each other for a moment.

He didn't have a name, Hodge called him  _the crow_  and didn't really own him. He had taken him in when he had fallen from his nest and had looked after him until he was big enough to fly. The crow had left one day but he returned from time to time as if he had never forgotten Hodge. Sometimes he stayed, sometimes he was off again but he was free to come and go as he pleased. Hodge was always happy to welcome him back.

Izzy didn't understand why Crow wasn't always there, whereas Alec did. They were friends and friends weren't always together.

The crow croaked and Alec hunched fearing to be attacked. Crow had never hurt anyone but he was too intimidating when he displayed his long black wings. When he opened his eyes, he was alone in the living room, squatting on the carpet with strange patterns and the weird object. He stood up and heard Izzy calling him.

''Dad and mom are gone?'' he loudly asked.

Hodge appeared in the living room with a small smile, Izzy in the arms, and put her on the floor with her Barbie bag-pack.

''They’re gone, what did you bring this time?'' he asked Izzy when he saw that she couldn't open her bag.

''My dolls, my hair clips, my books,'' she enumerated. ''I wanted to bring Church but mom said no.''

''Right you have a cat now, your mom told me, and she also told me you think that I need friends,'' he said to Alec who wasn't listening. ‘‘Alec?''

Alec stared up and blinked.

''I need friends ?'' asked again Hodge with a little smile.

''Mom said we all need friends,'' he seriously said with a frown. ''And you don't have a lot and you're always alone and it worries dad and mom.''

Hodge stared at him with that little smile which widened and he ruffled his hair. ''It's okay to be this way too, every person is different and each person's needs too. You'll understand later.''

Izzy, who was holding her little hair clips bag in the hands, looked at Hodge with narrowed eyes. ''So you don't have a sweetheart to go in restaurants like mom and dad?''

Hodge heaved a sigh and turned his head toward her. ''Do you want me to do your hair?'' he asked after seeing her hairdressing kit.

Izzy shook her head. ''No, I do your hair,'' she said while pulling his sweater in order to have access to his hair.

''Izzy loves to style Church,'' commented seriously Alec as to convince and reassure him of his sister's capillaries skills.

Hodge sat down resignedly and wearily, as someone used of being manhandled by children.

''You're as soft as Church!'' chirped Izzy while taking a hand full of hair, which made Hodge wince.

''I take that as a compliment,'' he sighed.

Izzy put her prettiest sparkly blue hair clip with a shiny butterfly in his hair and invited her brother to also style Hodge. The little boy refused, preferring to explore the house.

''Be careful,'' said Hodge with a wince when Izzy slapped a hair clip on the top of his head to close it. ''Yell if books fall on you, and don't go near the armor.''

Alec's shiny eyes met Hodge's ones who repeated his warning.

''Do not get near the armor, '' he firmly said again.

Alec nodded and ran toward the staircase to go upstairs where the most interesting things were, just like this armor. He was sure to find it above and he was eager to see it. As he didn't want to be scolded by Hodge, he silently walked up the steps covered with a shabby old red carpet on which there were horizontally-oriented golden bars with spikes.

Unable to contain his excitement, Alec went up the stairs quickly and less silently in the last steps. Hodge's house had three floors and an attic, only the ground floor seemed welcoming and livable and Hodge lived only downstairs, as he used what were upstairs as storage rooms for his work and impressive collection of books and items.

If the ground floor was friendly, the first floor was less and it was worst for the floors above. Alec knew that it was gloomy above and didn't dare to climb there alone...unless Izzy agreed to go with him. But he had gone there once, when Hodge was busy on the phone, and had almost climbed all the stairs of the second floor until he had found it too scary and had come down right away before falling flat on the face.

Alec had been scolded by Hodge but also by his mom before being coaxed for his bruises on his body. Hodge had even been scolded by her for not having looked after him.

He looked left and right, not knowing which way to go or what room to explore first. Alec reached out and groped around looking for the button to turn the light on. But before, he had to stand on the tiptoes if he wanted to reach it. He smirked when he could press the button, the arm stretched to the maximum.

The corridor lit up, it was empty but with four rooms that were treasure trove of good stuff. He decided to go left and opened the first door. The handle left a metal smell on his hand that made him wince and he turned on the light.

There was nothing interesting, tapestries rolled against the walls, furniture covered with white linens, chandeliers on the floor, and trinkets here and there, but no armor at all.

Alec went into the next room, bigger but darker and entirely filled with books. He forgot the armor and went in careful in order to not trip over the books used as pillars to the books piled on top. It was a jungle of books piled up on each other and these piles were sometimes much bigger than Alec who stepped carefully through the maze.

Now that he could read, Alec couldn't pretend anymore. He grabbed a large dusty book and opened it after sitting down. He coughed and was relieved to see big pictures in this book which wasn't written in English. With a frown, he brought his face closer to the page, coming to distinguish the letters but couldn't assemble them together. While closing it, he gave a nudge to the pile behind him which collapsed on another, in a cloud of dust.

And under Alec's frightened eyes, many of the books collapsed like dominoes.

''Alec,'' sighed Hodge in the doorway.

The little boy jumped when he was lifted and found himself in Hodge's arms who took him in the corridor.

''I didn't mean to,'' he stated.

But Hodge didn't listen and took him downstairs where Izzy was waiting. Disappointed, Alec pouted. He hadn't had the time to play or to see the armor. In the stairs, he finally noticed Hodge's new hairstyle and a slight smile drove his sulky mood away.

He had three pigtails on top of the head and hair clips here and there. Izzy really seemed to have fun.

Alec was put on the floor next to his sister who was on the couch, a thick book on her lap.

''Alec wasn't good? '' she asked after looking up.

Hodge snorted and patting his dusted trousers and sweater. ''It looks like you wiped the floor,'' he muttered to himself so lowly that Alec almost didn't hear him.

Izzy stared at him emphatically and slightly opened her mouth. Whenever Hodge murmured or whispered something, she thought that he was saying a magic spell. She kept staring at him when he sat down next to her to resume his reading and she looked with satisfaction at his hair.

''Come here Alec,'' he said while patting the empty space next to him.

''What's that book?''

''It's a dictionary,'' trumpeted Izzy. ''E!''

Alec sat next to Hodge while the latter took the dictionary and opened to the letter E. Izzy pointed at a random word. She seemed to be having the fun of her life.

''Ephemeral: lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory.''

''What's transitory?'' asked Alec, snuggling against Hodge.

Izzy also snuggled against him and Hodge awkwardly put his arms around their small body curled up against his.

Izzy and Alec exchanged a smile while Hodge was looking for the word transitory.

After having read the definition of the word it was Alec's turn to choose a letter.

''S!'' he said with a huge grin as he was having fun.

Hodge smelled dust, the books upstairs and had this comforting smell that made Alec snuggled closer.

He then pointed a word with his finger and looked up at him. Hodge blinked and seemed embarrassed.

''Not this one,'' he said with a wince.

‘‘Why?''

''Pick another one.''

With a frown, Alec tried to read out loud the word he had picked :  _sex._

''I'll read it to you when you'll be older,'' he hastened to say under the little boy's puzzled look who chose another one :  _soup._

''I'm hungry,'' declared Izzy before her stomach made a hungry growl.

''Me too,'' Alec added.

''Me too,'' said Hodge while trying to get up.

With a mischievous smile, Izzy clung to him while Alec fled into the kitchen.

When he entered the room, the crow was there and was pecking at something in a saucepan. Scared of having disturbed him with his noisy arrival, Alec stood motionless in the doorway, staring at the bird who didn't really care about his presence.

''He's there,'' noticed Hodge, approaching under Alec's anxious gaze who followed him.

Izzy uttered a cry of joy when she saw him and moved closer to touch him, but Hodge quickly prevented her by lifted her by the armpits and put her on a chair, next to the table.

''Come here Alec, the pizzas will soon arrive.''

Alec climbed on a chair next to his sister who was carefully watching Hodge whispering something, bustling in a closet, and Crow went to perch on his shoulder. Izzy's eyes widened and she moved closer as she could to her brother.

''Look,'' she whispered loudly. ''He's very a witch!''

''He's not a witch.''

''He's one and Bunny too is like that,'' she protested with a frown.

Bunny was her favorite character from her favorite book. She was a witch and it seemed that Hodge and her were very alike in Izzy's eyes. She kept staring at him to not miss anything.

''Hodge, where're our presents?'' she shyly asked, resting her chin against the table.

Alec straightened up. Right, he had told them that he had gifts. He glanced at the latter who was staring at them with an amused smile.

''I thought you had forgotten, close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you so, I'll know if you disobey me.''

Alec complied immediately, wrinkling his nose, and when he heard his footsteps walking away, he opened them to see that his sister had her eyes wide open behind her spread fingers. They shut them back when they heard Hodge coming back.

''Open your eyes,'' he lowly said.

Alec blinked and found a box in front of him. A nice rectangular wooden box cleverly carved, intrigued he took it and shook it. There was something inside but it was useless to turn it in every way, he couldn't see how to open it. He glanced at his sister who had the same gift box. She was knocking it against the table hoping to open it.

Hodge gently took the box from her destructive hands.

''It's a puzzle box, it's your present but there's something inside. It's a gift inside a gift, you have to find out how to open it and you'll know what's inside.''

''I can't open it,'' Alec protested with a frown.

And before he could hit the box against the table as his sister did, Hodge took it from his hands.

''There's a mechanism,'' he explained.

''What's inside?'' Izzy asked with eyes full of curiosity.

She was dying to know and Hodge only answered with a smile and a satisfied expression. He seemed pleased and maybe more excited than they were.

Izzy gave up after several attempts and went with Hodge to get their pizzas that the delivery man had brought. Alec desperately attempted to open the box and felt a glimmer of hope when he managed to slide what seemed to be the mechanism, but it disappeared right away when he saw that the box didn't open. He let out a frustrated groan and put it down right in front of him before glaring at his present.

Alec looked up when he heard a noise. The crow was knocking at the closed window. With a frown, the little boy came down from his chair and approached the crow who tilted his head toward him before taping again at the window with his beak. He obviously wanted to go out.

Alec then opened the window and Crow came out slipping away into the dark night. He jumped when he heard a yelp and the indignant cry of his sister, who threw herself on the window he had just closed.

''You locked him outside!''

''He wanted to go out.''

''Hodge!'' she called. ''Alec locked your crow outside!''

Alec glared at her, wanting to bring down her silly tiara and pull her hair but he didn't as he didn't want to be hit with her cast.

''What's wrong?'' asked the latter while dropping off two boxes of pizzas on the table.

''The crow ran away and Alec closed the window!'' complained Izzy as if he had committed a crime.

Her brother opened his mouth to defend himself but Hodge was faster and ruffled his hair.

''I don't own him, he can go as he wants and if he wants to go in he'll knock. He knows where to find me if he wants to come in.''

Izzy gave him a skeptical look and Alec cast a haughty look on her.

''Let's eat little monsters or our pizzas will cool down.''

After a hectic meal where nobody had managed to open the boxes, making Alec wondered how Hodge had opened the puzzle boxes to put another gift inside, Izzy climbed on the table to show him how she broke her arm, under Alec's jaded eyes who was eating his blackberry yogurt.

''You grew up and you are worse than before,'' had declared Hodge while taking Izzy in his arms.

And she accidentally hit him with her cast in the nose.

Hodge wanted to know how Alec was at school, if he had friends and if he had a crush on someone.

''Alec doesn't have a sweetheart,'' had said Izzy. ''Like you,'' she added for Hodge.

The latter blinked and opened his mouth to defend himself but he immediately frowned, staring at Izzy's innocent face.

''Little Monster,'' he had whispered affectionately.

And they played hide-and-seek after Hodge had suddenly yelled: ''1,2,3...!''

Alec and Izzy rushed out of the kitchen and their nanny for the evening banned them the access to the second and third floor.

Izzy remained in the ground floor and ran directly into Hodge's room whereas Alec went upstairs. He went right this time and in the last room of the corridor. He didn't turn on the light and sped into something huge that fell on the floor in a deafening roar.

Alec had just found the armor.

Curled into a fearful and guilty posture, he straightened up and stepped backwards before carefully closing the door. When he turned around, he came face to face with his sister who was looking at him mischievously.

''It's not good Alec,'' she said while scraping a sticker on her cast.

''I didn't do it on purpose.''

''I won't say anything to Hodge if I can hide with you.''

Alec narrowed his eyes. ''I always lose when I'm with you.''

Izzy frowned, offended, making him roll his eyes.

''Okay, you can hide with me.''

Izzy smiled in a please way and followed him in another room where were an old piano, several paintings and a broken chandelier. Alec ran toward a large painting, leaning against a closet and slipped behind with a satisfied smile.

''There's room for you too,'' he whispered.

His sister turned off the light and with a lot of squeaks and sighs, found where he was and gave him a head-shot that made him moan in pain.

''Izzy !''

''Sorry,'' she whispered while snuggling against him to be sure to be well hidden.

She still squirmed a bit to properly install herself, curled up in the same position as him and there was silence. No noise, nothing.

And Izzy giggled, excited to see if Hodge would find them or not. Alec pushed her long hair that bothered him and she squealed.

''My tiara!''

''It's your hair's fault not mine,'' he whispered. ''Hush now.''

They waited, the heart madly pounding, but nothing. Hodge wasn't coming.

Alec sighed and soon began to feel the head of his sister on his shoulder, then Izzy loudly yawned against his ear.

''Why he's not coming?''

''I don't know, we must be well hidden,'' he replied before yawning.

''He forgot us ?''

It was quite possible. Alec sighed loudly and scowled, disappointed.

''It's getting boring,'' he mumbled and Izzy agreed with a nod. ''Let's go downstairs.''

And they went out from their hiding place, their dragging feet betrayed their disappointment and the expectations they had. Alec opened the door and froze when he heard his father's laugh.

Apparently, Hodge looked really funny and weird with his new hairstyle.

''Mom and dad are here,'' he growled.

Izzy immediately looked devastated and sighed heavily.

''I don't want to go home, I want to stay here with Hodge,'' she mumbled.

''Yeah, me too.''

They grumpily looked at each other at the idea of returning home and went down the stairs as slowly as they could. Alec turned and smiled when he saw his sister's scowling face, clinging to the handrail like to a buoy.

He was the first one to come down in the living room and stared at his parents and at Hodge. The adults were comfortably sitting in the couch and were talking with animation, and as they had the back turned, no one noticed his presence.

It gave him an idea which made his eyes sparkled. Izzy would love it.

He also turned around silently as he could and found Izzy on the bottom step of the stairs trying to remove a sticker from her cast.

''Come with me, we'll scare them,'' he whispered.

Izzy's pout disappeared to form a mischievous smile and they crawled on the floor to play spies who had to frighten the enemy.

''Wait,'' Izzy whispered before readjusting his tiara.

Alec frowned. ''A spy doesn't care about his tiara,'' he scolded her.

''I'm a spy-princess,'' she retorted.

They crawled into the living room and not as silently as they should have with Izzy's arm. Nobody noticed them though, and they could quietly hid behind the couch scot-free.

Unable to contain her excitement, Izzy giggled and put her hands over her mouth to hold back her giggles. They didn't go into action immediately and waited for the right moment to yell and give them their fear of their lives.

Their mom told something that had happened to her at work when they heard a loud and steady noise against a window. Alec and Izzy straightened up, it was the crow. If the little boy had pulled himself together despite his desire to see Crow, his sister was more than ready to come out of their hiding place and ruin everything.

''A spy doesn't like animals,'' he whispered.

Izzy pouted and rested her head on her arm before sighing and fiddling with the string sticking out of the carpet.

''It sucks to be a spy,'' she grumbled and her tiara slid on her nose.

His face pressed against the floor, Alec saw the feet of Hodge heading toward the window that he noisily opened. The crow croaked and Maryse made a surprise noise.

''You still have him?'' she asked while standing up.

Alec followed her high heels heading to Hodge.

''He's always welcome,'' replied the latter.

''Did you give him a name?'' asked Robert, following his wife.

''Not really... Izzy and Alec called him Crow.''

Maryse snorted. ''Crow...luckily it's not Hugin,'' she murmured.

''I can call him Hugo, it's quite alike,'' said Hodge in a light tone.

''Very funny,'' Robert snapped coldly, turning back to sit.

Izzy and Alec exchanged an anxious glance and a wince. He was angry.

''When are we going to scare them?'' Izzy whispered.

Alec shrugged. ''Wait for my signal.''

And especially wait for their father to no longer be angry to respond well to the fear they would inspire him.

''Hugin followed his every command,'' murmured Maryse.

Hodge snorted. ''Especially because Valentine hit him... He never knew how to deal with animals.''

''Neither with humans,'' Robert coldly retorted. ''Stop talking about that and about him.''

''About what?'' asked their mother in a provocative way? ''The Circle and Valentine?''

Her tone and what she had said made their father swear and Alec wondered if they could really scare him. It didn't sound like a good idea to do it now.

''We must handle our mistakes, we were young, arrogant and stupid...the Circle was a mistake, a big mistake,'' calmly said Hodge.

Izzy cut down her cast arm on Alec's hand who squealed in pain.

''It hurts!'' he whispered.

''Mom and dad too are witches!'' she shrilly squealed with wide eyes.

Alec blinked. ‘‘What?''

''Bunny too makes circles for nature, for the little flowers and the rain,'' she added.

She was talking about her favorite book. Alec rolled his eyes.

''At school we make circles too,'' he retorted.

''They're all witches!'' she insisted as if it was the coolest thing in the world. ''Me too I want to be a witch!''

Alec narrowed his eyes. ''You can't, you're already a spy-princess. You have to make a choice.''

Confused and in an intense concentration which made her frown, Izzy was seriously thinking about it.

''I can't be a witch-spy-princess?'' she asked.

''No, and stop moving your feet, we'll get spotted,'' he whispered while adjusting his sister's tiara which had slid again.

''What are you doing here?'' asked their father over the couch.

The kids looked up and met his amused gaze.

''BOO !'' Izzy yelled.

''You can't see us,'' Alec hastened to add. ''We're spies and we're invisible.''

And they stayed face down on the floor. Their mission was a failure.

Izzy finally get up and threw herself at him. ''Dad, me too I want to be a witch!''

And she ran towards Hodge to caress Crow whereas Alec stayed in his hiding place -which was no longer one- and especially because he heard his mother kissing his little sister. He didn't want to be kissed.

''Come out, '' said Robert. ''We have to go.''

''No.''

''What do you mean no, you don't want to go home?''

''No.''

Alec scowled when he was lifted and dusted with pats. And his mother kissed him, a lot before asking him if he had fun. Izzy hastened to ask if they had fun in the restaurant and told them everything they had done.

Hogde then showed their parents what he had offered them and none of them managed to open the boxes, which made Maryse glanced at him with skepticism.

''There is really something inside or it is to test their willingness and ability?''

''Both,'' Hodge replied with a mysterious smile. ''Both.''

Izzy then knocked her gift against the wall hoping to open it this way, before her father took it away for more safety.

*

The puzzle boxes were used as decorative objects in their room, as they still didn't manage to open them. Hodge had asked them to call him the day they could.

For Alec, this box was perfect for his dragon who could from now on keep a real treasure. He was really looking forward to show it to Magnus who wouldn't be long. He was coming at home to play and to sleepover, and Alec began to get impatient.

''When Magnus is coming?'' he asked his mom who was baking cookies.

''Soon.''

Alec rolled his eyes, unsatisfied with her answer and went to his sister, occupied to hairstyle Church. The cat made a weird noise when he saw him moving closer but allowed him to stroke his fluffy fur with weary eyes. At first, he had played dead in order to not be bothered by Izzy but it had inspired her and she had gone to get her hair kit.

''Hold that!'' she required in an imperative tone.

She pulled the cat's bristle tufts which earned her a narrowed look from Church and a wince from Alec. Especially when the orange eyes focused on him.

Alec declined and rose when he heard a car pull over in the driveway.

''It must be them,'' said Maryse before removing her apron. ''Izzy wear your brace, your arm is still weak.''

''It's annoying if I want to play with Church,'' grumbled the little girl.

She no longer had her cast since a few days ago, for her greatest happiness, but she had to wear a brace from now on.

Maryse had to put it on her under her shrill screams because she didn't want to wear it.

''I'm healed!'' she whined.

Church took advantage of the situation and hid under the couch whereas Alec was wincing when his sister's screams, more and more high-pitched, pulled out his eardrums. He still managed to hear the knocks at the door and ran to open it.

He turned the key, lowered the door handle and pulled. He shivered when he felt the cold bite his cheeks and sneak under his clothes. Mrs. Bane brightly smiled at him whereas Magnus was pouting and looked really annoyed. Alec perfectly understood why when he saw the camera in her hands.

''Oh my little pumpkin look, Alec was so impatient to see you that he even opened the door,'' marveled Magnus' mother with enthusiasm and she fell on him to fondly pinch his right cheek.

Alec blinked and opened the mouth to say that it was because his father had locked himself in his study, that Izzy was busy to scream -and too small- and that his mother was busy making Izzy scream, but he sneezed and Magnus told him something in Indonesian.

''Let's go inside,'' cheerfully said Mrs Bane. ''And bless you is  _bless you_  in English Magnus.''

Magnus repeated and went inside before putting his cold hands on Alec's warm cheeks with a mischievous smile. The latter froze but didn't flinch, and Mrs Bane captured this moment.

''See sweetheart, I did well to bring the camera. Who's screaming?'' she asked while removing her sun glasses

''Izzy likes to make noise,'' Alec murmured before scrutinizing her.

Mrs Bane was dress entirely in white and her coat was so long that he almost touched the floor. Only her sweater and her boots were black.

''It smells like cookies,'' Magnus said while sniffing around with shiny eyes.

Alec wondered if there would be enough as Magnus ate quite a lot.

''You're already here?'' finally noticed Maryse, with read cheeks, short of breath, and her long hair disheveled.

Mrs. Bane and her happily greeted each other and chatted, while Alec brought Magnus in the living room where Izzy was spread on the floor, staring at the ceiling with tearful eyes. But she was wearing her brace. She sat up and pointed with her finger her tiara at Magnus' foot who looked down.

''Mom made me lose my tiara,'' she murmured with a pout.

Magnus picked it up and handed it to her with a shy smile. With a sullen face, she took it and crawled to the couch in order to pull Church, hidden underneath. The two little boys stared at her for a while before doing the same in the same motion.

''Izzy bothers Church all the time,'' Alec said. ''That's why he likes to hide.''

Magnus nodded and gazed at the cat who was staring back at them, with his usual sullen face and curled up in a fluffy fur ball. When Alec looked up, Magus was staring at him with a grin.

''I have something to show you,'' declared Alec.

''Your dragon?''

''It's something else and my dragon is keeping it.''

Magnus' yellowish green eyes sparkled with curiosity.

''It's in my room,'' Alec said while standing up.

Magnus also stood up and Izzy did the same. ''It's my room too so I'm coming,'' she stated before pulling Church by his front paws, and took him in her arms as if he was a big baby.

Alec wasn't surprised when Magnus stroked Church, looking amazed.

''He's very fluffy,'' he declared in a please way.

''It's me who did his pigtails,'' claimed proudly Izzy.

Alec sighed and glanced at their mothers chatting in the kitchen. He headed toward them, and in particular toward Mrs Bane as he wanted to ask something.

''Mom, Magnus' mom too will sleep here tonight?''

His friend's mom almost spat the cookie she was eating out. ''Oh my, no. I'll leave soon,'' she said with a smile which slowly disappeared. ''But I'll stay one hour maybe two if you don't mind,'' she murmured to Maryse who was drinking a cup of tea. ''Magnus isn't really at ease with people he doesn't know. If you knew how difficult it was to make him use to us in the beginning...and with adults in general!'' she added in a tragic tone.

Maryse frowned, worried, and Alec joined back Magnus and Izzy.

Alec stared at Magnus with concern. His friend wasn't very himself and it worried him. But it was perfectly understandable as their mothers were watching them playing and it was annoying and bothersome.

He showed his puzzle box to Magnus who couldn't open it either.

''There's really something inside?'' he asked with narrowed eyes.

Alec nodded. ''Hodge said yes but maybe he lied.''

Maybe it was just a stone inside.

''What's hodge? asked Magnus while shaking the box.

''Hodge is someone, he's like a nanny '' said Izzy. ''And he's a witch,'' she whispered as if it was a secret.

Magnus blinked. ''A witch?''

''You don't know what a witch is?''

''I know!''

''You speak in a funny way.''

''Magnus speaks normally,'' Alec said in a defended tone.

''No,'' insisted Izzy. ''He's talking in a funny way.''

''It's not funny,'' Magnus protested.

They were in the living room and their raised voices drew the attention of the two women, sat on the couch.

''Izzy, Magnus is from Indonesia it's normal that he has an accent.''

She frowned and stared at him petting Church the way she did: holding him tight against him in order to not let him escape. She seemed displeased with something and she was also not very herself, noticed Alec who wondered when his mom and Mrs. Bane would go away.

It finally happened, after she had taken some pictures because it was his first time at a friend's house, and after having carefully looked at her dear Magnus to make sure he was okay and that he would for his entire sleepover, she left, but only after showering him with kisses and after taking one last cookie.

Magnus' relieved sigh when his mother finally left made Maryse smile.

''Everything will be fine,'' she said while patting his head.

He stared at her and slightly and softly tried to get away from her, as if he didn't really trust her. Luckily, Maryse didn't take offense ans her smile softened.

Magnus literally stayed stuck to Alec, especially when Robert came out from his study, lured by the cookies' smell. Alec knew that his father could seem scary and could be scary but he had never thought that Magnus would look this intimidated. With a smile he hoped to be comforting, he took his hand and sat next to him at the table.

Izzy, weirdly sullen and grumpy, stared at them and sat in front of them on the chair with cushions. Her gaze went to one to another, and she haughtily turned her head with a huff when Alec looked back at her.

Magnus stuffed himself with cookies and orange juice with a satisfied smile which made Alec's mother smile before looking at her husband.

''He's so cute,'' she murmured.

Robert sat noisily, grabbed the salad bowl for him and only himself which earned him the shocked stare of the three children and his wife’s jaded look in front of his poor attempt to have fun.

Magnus and Izzy almost had stood up on their chair to jump on him whereas Alec was drinking his glass of milk.

''You can't eat all the cookies,'' he said.

Robert raised his eyebrows. ''Why ?'' he said before eating two in one mouthful.

''You'll get fat.''

''He's already fat,'' added angrily Izzy who desperately reached out for one cookie. ''Give me one, please!''

Magnus also reached out and Robert gave them back their cookies with dismay.

''It's true that you had a more amazing body there was a time,'' murmured Maryse with a smirk while giving him a glass of orange juice.

Their dad narrowed his eyes and Alec spilled his glass of milk on Magnus who didn't notice -busy as he was to stuff himself-.

''Alec,'' sighed Maryse, coming back with a sponge.

Magnus frowned and looked at him with weariness. ''Alec,'' he repeated.

''Sorry.''

But he knew that he wasn't convincing with his smile and Magnus' frown deepened.

''What's funny?''

''You eat a lot.''

Magnus took another cookie and ate it in one mouthful.

Alec's father, who wanted to know better the little Magnus, asked him many questions after he had finished eating to make sure he would answer.

''What your dad likes to do?''

Magnus blinked, a little stressed out by this questioning. ''He likes to play with his fucking carps.''

The reactions weren't long in coming. Alec was actually the only one to not react as he remembered quite well when Mrs. Bane had said that when they had played with the carps in the fountain. His parents froze and exchanged a stare while Izzy's mouth formed an 'o'.

''He said a bad word,'' she said with a thin voice.

''Magnus you can't say that,'' softly said Maryse.

''Only when you'll get older,'' added Robert, deadpanned.

''Why the adults can?'' he asked with a frown.

''Because they can do everything!'' trumpeted Izzy.

''They can't,'' Magnus murmured with a sullen face.

They were now in the toys room and Magnus seemed to be really happy and more comfortable, despite Izzy's presence who was still staring at him in an unfriendly way. Alec noticed that they were leaving her out in their games and felt guilty.

Then, they tried to involve her dolls in their invasion game, which Magnus didn't seem to mind at all but his friend clearly felt that something was off with Izzy and as he didn't really know how to behave, didn't really talk with her, and Alec had to do the middleman. It worsened everything.

He took care of Magnus a little too much for Izzy and not enough of her, and Magnus who was slightly quieter than usual could guess that she didn't really like him with her behavior.

Alec was glad to see that Magnus seemed to really like his dragon and lent it to him. It was the last straw for Izzy who suddenly rose, earning the surprised look of the two boys and Church's amber eyes on her.

''Why do you let him borrow it?'' she asked, on verge of tears.

Alec blinked whereas Magnus seemed to not know where to go, the dragon in the arm that he let down immediately as if he hadn't the right to have it. He then handed it to her, but she pushed this gesture of reconciliation away, making him dropped the toy. Magnus' yellow-green eyes narrowed, betraying how hurt he was by her reaction, and he looked at Alec who didn't know what to do.

''But usually you don't like him, you find him boring,'' could only say the little boy before looking at his dragon on the floor.

Izzy burst into tears, destroyed the perfect alignment of the dinosaurs on the carpet with a furious kick and fled into the living room.

Taken aback, Magnus and Alec stared at each other.

''What did I do?'' asked Magnus with a little voice.

He was also about to cry.

''You did nothing, she's just angry....come with me,'' he said while taking him by the arm.

Magnus looked like he needed a hug so Alec gave him one. ''There, there, don't cry,'' he seriously said to try to comfort him. ''Izzy's a crybaby it's normal, don't worry.''

''I'm not a crybaby,'' Magnus protested while hugging him back.

Alec patted his back and sighed. He was worried about the both of them, wanted everything to be fine between his friend and his sister but obviously it wouldn't work.

''Come on, you cry too?'' said wearily Robert in the doorway.

''I'm not crying, it's Magnus,'' Alec said.

''I'm not,'' grumbled the latter, pulling himself out from his hug.

Alec looked at his father, contrite. ''Izzy got mad ...''

His father nodded. ''She's no longer crying, she's watching TV... She's jealous that you don't care for her as usual and that you didn't play with her.''

Alec could tell, he glanced at Magnus who looked uneasy.

''It's not your fault,'' murmured Robert while ruffling his son's friend hair. ''Izzy only has Alec to play, she...''

''Church too,'' Alec cut him off.

''You and Church, but she needs to share and you Alec you have to figure out how to not leave her out, even if your friend came over for you...''

''It's my fault?'' Alec asked with worry.

He knew it was.

As a big brother who cared about his little sister, he went towards her, followed closely by Magnus who also wanted to apologize for monopolizing Alec as he did. Izzy, sitting on a cushion in front of the TV, heard them coming but stayed stubbornly motionless looking at the TV screen.

''Izzy, I'm sorry and...Magnus too, we won't do it again,'' he apologized.

But Izzy didn't turn around, Magnus then handed him the dragon to give to his sister.

''Here, you can have my dragon if you want.''

Izzy turned and glared at him. ''I don't want it!''

Alec looked at his father with incomprehension. The latter sighed.

''What about going outside? Some fresh air will do you good and we return when mom will be back, okay? ''

Magnus approached Alec. ''Izzy hates me,'' he murmured sadly and pained.

''No,'' Alec said trying to be persuasive and wondering how he could make his jealous little sister like his friend.

When Izzy sulked, she was sulking for a very long time. All Alec's attempts to reconcile with her miserably failed. She had been left out so she also rejected them.

He sighed when she refused to take his hand, preferring their father's one. Magnus, meanwhile, refused to take Robert's, preferring Alec's who had to take the hand of his father reluctantly.

''Dad you walk too fast,'' complained Alec.

Robert winced and threw at the three children a distressed and sullen look. ''I can't wait for your mother to be back,'' he muttered for himself.

Magnus heaved a sigh and Alec wondered if he wanted to go home. Obviously he didn't have fun, none of them actually had fun at all. Izzy was sad and cranky because of Magnus, making the latter sad to not be liked, and seeing his sister and his friend sad made Alec sad, anxious and dejected.

He felt bad since his mother had gone outside to do some grocery shopping, everything went rather well when she was there and especially before she left.

They arrived at the park but none of them showed any enthusiasm, if not Robert.

''Okay guys, Magnus' mom wants pictures so please smile.''

Magnus sighed and rolled his eyes. Alec and him were still holding hands and Izzy stared at their said hands in a displease way. But her eyes brightened when she heard the word picture, Izzy liked being taken in picture.

Robert stuck them together and forced them to smile. In that picture, Magnus was looking at his feet, Alec who was in the middle was staring up at something in the air -something like deliverance- whereas Izzy was glaring at Magnus.

An amazing picture indeed.

Their father laughed when he saw the result on his phone. ''Izzy you're so cute,'' he marveled. ''That's crazy how much you look like your mother.''

There wasn't other picture group as Izzy wanted to fly solo.

''You don't want to make me angry, right? So stay around where I can see you,'' said Robert while going to sit on a bench.

Magnus seemed ready to stay where he was, right in front of Robert, as he didn't really understand the meaning of  _stay around_. Alec had to pull him by the arm to make him move.

''Let's go and play in the sand,'' he said.

''And Izzy?''

''She'll come if she wants to play.''

He knew that she would because she would get bored by herself and with their dad. He could already see her looking at them with interest.

The sand was cold and all the shovels and the buckets were buried. Alec and Magnus had to play archaeologists first in order to be able to play pirates next, with great imagination and pebbles as there were no boats.

''You should have taken your dinosaurs,'' Magnus said while digging a hole.

''Next time,'' shyly murmured Alec who feared that there wouldn't be a next time with what had happened.

But Magnus brightly smiled at him, ready for a next time.

Alec looked up when he heard his sister's coming. Izzy had finally joined them in the sandbox but kept her distance as she was still pouting.

Magnus did his best to soften and appease her but nothing worked, he finally gave up and no longer cared for her. Like Alec. They did all they could for her to not feel left out anymore and she rejected their attention.

And yet, she approached slowly and gradually inserted herself into their game after staring at them for a long time. None of the boys made comments, Magnus even gave her a bucket to dig with them.

But sometimes Izzy was clumsy, and Alec didn't really know how she managed to hit Magnus' face with a bucket. Both of them looked at each other the same way: shocked and bewildered.

''Pain pain fly away,'' she hastened to say when Magnus winced painfully, a hand on his chin.

Izzy genuinely looked sorry and didn't seem to have done it on purpose but with her previous behavior, and especially with Magnus, it made the latter think that she did and he pushed her away.

'' _You_  fly away,'' he hissed in pain.

Izzy blinked and sniffed. She was going to cry and Magnus' eyes were brighter than usual. Alec's eyes went from one to the other, not knowing what to do.

''Alec is  _my_  brother,'' she suddenly sobbed before wiping her eyes.

The said brother immediately went to her to make her stop rubbing her face, as her hands were covered with sand.

''Magnus knows that,'' he said. ''Stop crying.''

And she wept harder. Her sobs shook him, as he didn't know what to do except to take her in his arms, as their mother would have done. Izzy clung to him, hugged him tightly in her arms and rubbed her wet face against his coat.

She calmed down a bit and sniffed, and Alec looked up to see how Magnus was doing. His chin was red and he looked so lonely, so sad and sorry that Alec moved closer -with Izzy in the arms- to include him in their hug of reconciliation.

Magnus narrowed his eyes, wondering if it was a good idea but accepted to hug them. Izzy, who was in the middle, didn't flinch and pressed herself a little harder against Alec.

They looked like penguins that huddled for warmth.

''It'll take a long time?'' Magnus asked after a moment, breaking the healing silence that had settled.

''Yes,'' said Izzy's hoarse and muffled voice.

Magnus sighed but still hugged them anyway as it felt nice. Alec smiled which made Magnus smile too.

Izzy seemed to see things differently now and despite the suspicious look she cast on Magnus, gave him her hand almost shyly as if she was afraid to be pushed away.

Magnus didn't reject her, even if he seemed to have considered it, and took the hand she had stretched out to Alec's delight, happy to see them getting along. Izzy even made a bunch of dead leaves for his friend, which meant a lot.

Alec picked up a stick and gave a kick to a pile of leaves when he suddenly stiffened and looked around, panicked. His dad had said to stay around where he could see them. First, Alec couldn't see him anymore and secondly, they were far from the playground.

His father could be very scary when he was angry and Alec didn't really want Magnus to witness that.

''Where's dad?'' asked Izzy before stooping to pick up another pretty leaf for Magnus who now had a huge bouquet of dead leaves.

An old lady who was walking with her dog smiled at them and went into raptures in front of Magnus' exotic beauty with ' _but what a beautiful child_ ', ' _you'll be a fine young man later',_  and  _'oh look, those leaves highlight your pretty eyes.'_

''I'm pretty too,'' declared Izzy.

And the old lady raved about her beauty while Alec was panicking at the idea of his father, terribly angry after their disappearance.

The old lady left and they continued to walk a bit until Alec saw a large familiar figure in the distance, walking rapidly. The silhouette stopped near the old lady who had spoken to them and she turned to point a finger at them. Then, Alec and Izzy's father walked in their direction, striding, with clenched jaws and looked frankly not happy.

The whole park was separating them but Robert made giant strides... Alec didn't know what happened in his head but he immediately ran in the opposite direction after pulling Izzy and Magnus' arms. His sister giggled and Magnus who had seen Robert looked slightly afraid and anxious.

''What's going on?'' he asked.

Both of them where holding Izzy by the hand, she didn't run fast and almost tripped several times. But she didn't care and was brightly smiling, she gave a shrill cry when Robert fell on them and imprisoned them in his arms.

They couldn't move and winced, grinding against each other in his embrace. Alec didn't dare to look back at him and wriggled to get free, whereas Magnus, completely motionless, threw at him a panicked look.

''You little monsters,'' he hissed, fuming. ''I told you to stay around and what did you do? Something bad could have happen to you!''

He continued to rant his rage caused by anxiety, fear and concern about them, petrifying Magnus who had probably never seen anyone so angry in all his young life.

''You too Magnus you'll be grounded once home,'' he said.

Izzy and Magnus' eyes immediately converged on Alec who winced, feeling guilty for his stupidity. He still didn't know why he had decided to run as he did.

It was getting dark and the temperature dropped suddenly. They went home, dejected on the promise of the punishment that awaited them. Alec was really scared that Magnus would no longer want to go back at his place to play and gave him a worried look. He squeezed his hand a little harder and Magnus who was staring at his feet, looked up.

''Do you think that I could eat cookies?''

Alec shook his head and Magnus sighed.

They winced when Robert quickened sharply his steps to cross the road, they had trouble following him and Alec, whose wrist was firmly trapped in the hands of the latter, felt his arm being pulled painfully. He couldn't wait to be home.

Izzy's head bobbed on their father's shoulder, the mouth slightly open. At first, Robert had refused to hold her and when he saw that she was struggling to keep her eyes open and started to yawn, had taken her in his arms where she had fallen asleep.

Alec knew she would be spared.

And she was. As soon as they were back, Robert went to their bedroom while Alec and Magnus took off their coat and shoes.

Alec was both disappointed and relieved that his mother had still not returned. He knew that she would have scolded them but he had found this afternoon challenging and wouldn't be against a comforting hug.

He held back Magnus by the arm when the latter wanted to go into the living room to stroke Church, curled into a ball in the couch.

''We're punished,'' he reminded him.

''I'll pet him first.''

''After.''

Magnus pouted and heaved a sigh. ''How we'll get punished? I don't want to be hit or to have my head under water.''

Alec blinked and stared at him. ''No,'' he protested. ''My dad will yell a little and make us stand in the corner.''

He had no memory of having been beaten and threw at Magnus a puzzled look.

''That's all?'' asked a surprised Magnus.

''Yeah, how you're getting punished usually?

''I'm not, I'm good at home I don't want my parents to hate me...Why did you run by the way?'' he asked with a frown, clearly remembering that it was Alec's fault in the first place.

''I don't know, dad looked very scary...''

''He's scary,'' admitted Magnus. ''More scary than my pterodactyl.''

''Mom said he's not but she's wrong.''

''If you find me scary when I'm angry don't make me angry then,'' said his father, heading toward them.

Alec winced when he took him by the arm and was put in the corner behind the TV. ''You're always angry and scary,'' he mumbled.

Robert acted as if he had heard nothing and did the same with Magnus near the kitchen. The two boys exchanged glances.

''Don't look at each other or you'll stay there longer,'' he warned them in a firm and authoritative voice.

Magnus looked at him his eyes clear. ''How long?'' he shyly asked.

''We'll see.''

''Can I have a cookie, please?''

Robert blinked and stared at him, losing his composure. He took a deep breath, seemed to weigh the pros and cons, looked again at Magnus' face and wearily went into the kitchen.

He returned with the salad bowl and handed it to the boy who brightly smiled.

''Only one.''

Magnus hastened to bite into the cookie that he had taken and turned against the wall, under the stunned gaze of Alec.

His stare met his father's one who seemed willing to give him one too.

''I don't want cookies,'' he said stubbornly before turning to face the wall.

The punishment would be long.

It was and was also punctuated by several ' _don't look at each other_ ' when Magnus and Alec turned over to look how was doing the other or exchanged smiles. Church was prowling around Magnus who cast a quick glance at Robert sitting on the couch, to make sure that he wasn't looking at him, and bent down to pet the cat.

Alec pressed his forehead against the wall and heaved a sigh before closing his eyes that he couldn't keep open.

When he opened them, he was lying on the ground and Magnus and Izzy were drawing on his face with felt pens. They seemed to be having the fun of their life, and Church stood nearby watching them with narrowed eyes.

He grunted, making them giggle.

''Don't move, I'm drawing a mustache,'' Magnus said with a frown.

Alec blinked when he felt the felt nib under his nose and finally reacted. Straightening up, he noticed that there were a pillow under his head and a blanket over him.

Magnus chuckled. ''It was funny when you fell, your dad screamed.''

Apparently, he had been so tired that he had literally collapsed on the floor, frightening his father who had rushed on him to see that he had just fallen asleep.

''We're still punished?'' Alec asked hoarsely.

''No,'' Izzy said by choosing other felt pens carefully spread the floor.

''And your mom is back, she's cooking,'' Magnus said.

He was wearing some bracelets and had hair clips in his hair, Izzy seemed to have chosen him as the guinea pig, as for once Church had been spared.

But as Alec was still in a daze and not fully awake, Izzy took the opportunity to make a round on his cheek that she carefully colored.

Alec finally frowned. ''Stop it.''

And he got up to join his mother not without throwing one last look at Magnus and his sister. They seemed in pretty good terms now, relieved he ran toward the kitchen.

''Mom,'' he said cheerfully.

Maryse who was chopping something looked back and her eyes widened. She put down her knife, wiped her hands on her apron that Alec had made -with Magnus' help- and rubbed his face.

''I should have known when they didn't ask for paper,'' she mumbled while taking him to the bathroom.

Alec followed her and saw what he looked like in the mirror. His whole face was colored with strange patterns sometimes. There were three guys on his right cheek who held hands, Izzy was in the middle, Alec on the right and Magnus on the left.

Maryse took a cleansing wipe, squatted, sighed and rubbed his face.

''Don't remove the mustache,'' he said.

He winced when she rubbed his mouth and held into her. He was glad to see her and wanted a hug as he had lived an afternoon full of worries. Izzy had been jealous and had cried because of him, Magnus hadn't dared to be himself and didn't seem to have fun, and Alec was scared that he no longer wanted to come again or to be his friend. Besides, his dad had been angry and it had made him scary, and Magnus had also been punished, so he had every reason to not want to come anymore.

Alec heaved a sigh and let out a growl that strangely sounded like a plaintive whine. Maryse frowned and stared at him.

''What's wrong?'' she murmured, worried.

Alec scowled, muttered incomprehensible words but it didn't prevent his mother from getting the gist. She took him in her arms, and Alec who was waiting for this hug, hugged her back with fervor before nestling his head in her neck. He relaxed and didn't feel like crying anymore.

''You know,'' she murmured in his ear. ''Magnus' mom called earlier to know if everything was okay and if Magnus had fun. He said yes, and that he had fun with you.''

''He lied,'' mumbled Alec, squeezing her.

''Why would he have lied? If he really had no fun at all he would have asked his mom to come and get him.''

His mom was right, Alec nodded and Maryse patted his back while murmuring ' _there, there.'_

And she suddenly sighed. ''Come here Magnus.''

Alec released her and turned to see Magnus in the same state, as he had been earlier. The latter's eyes went to Alec to his mother, and a concerned and distraught look crossed his face as if he felt responsible in any way of Alec's need to be comforted by his mother.

Maryse realized this and an amused and desperate smile appeared on her face.

''You're friends and way too young to make each other worry,'' she said, taking another cleansing wipe. ''Alec was scared that you don't have fun,'' she explained to Magnus who was staring with concern at her son.

Alec frowned and glanced shyly at Magnus.

''I have fun, even if Izzy hates me and that his dad is scary.''

Maryse snorted. ''His dad is not always scary and he had been right to be angry which made him scary, it's dangerous outside, something could have happened to you, Alec you're listening ? You have to obey and stay near an adult.''

Alec had come closer and was listening to her remonstrance as carefully as Magnus.

''And Izzy doesn't hate you,'' she carried on. ''She's just jealous because until now Alec only played with her and she felt that you were stealing him from her. But it doesn't mean that you have to do everything to make her like you,'' she said, alluding to his skin covered with drawings and the hair clips in his hair.

Clearly, Magnus, who felt rejected, did everything to make Izzy like him and the little girl conscientiously abused this privilege.

''I like the bracelets,'' he murmured when she tried to take them off.

Maryse smiled and removed the hair clips while Alec and he smiled at each other.

Alec was in bed with Magnus, after a particularly hectic bath. They had behaved but curiously and strangely Magnus had been on guard and extremely suspicious toward Maryse who had to be patient and imaginative to be able to approach and help them to wash. Although, her eyes had stared insistently at the scar on his chest, she hadn't said a word.

Izzy, who was all excited in the living room, was jumping on the couch while Alec and Magnus were trying to agree on the book that Robert would read to them before bedtime.

''Anyway, it's always Izzy who can choose,'' mumbled Alec with a sigh. ''But if it's you, it'll be the one you want.''

Magnus looked up. ''Which one do you want?''

''I don't know.''

As they didn't know, Izzy chose  _Bunny the witch_  for the umpteenth time.

They were in Izzy's bed, Robert in the middle, his children huddled against him, Magnus nestled against Alec and Church in Alec's bed, staring at them in a sullen way.

Their father cleared his throat. ‘‘Ready?  _Bunny the witch_ ,'' he began before opening the book.

''Why her name is Bunny?'' asked Magnus.

Alec nodded to the relevance of the question whereas Robert looked at him.

''It's like that, the author wanted to name her this way.''

''Go on,'' ordered Izzy while glaring at Magnus who had dared to interrupt the story barely begun.

''Everyone in the village knew who Bunny was...''

‘‘Why?'' asked Magnus, interrupting him and resting his head against Alec's shoulder, who yawned.

And that was only the beginning. Robert trying to read the story until the end and Magnus cutting him off with his  _'why'_ , ' _what's that'_  under Izzy's exasperated eyes and Alec's delight who knew the story by heart and were a bit tired of hearing it.

Robert seemed glad to finally be able to close the book and stared at Magnus with amusement before standing up. Izzy was glaring at him as he had patiently answered every question and at Magnus for having spoiled her favorite's book reading with those questions.

Before leaving, their father left the door half-open and waited for Church to go out as well. The cat took his time, accepting Magnus' tight hug and Izzy's tighter one before leaving.

''You don't pet him?'' asked Magnus to Alec.

''He doesn't like being pet,'' Alec answered while putting himself to bed.

A folding bed for Magnus had been stuck against his but Magnus preferred his and slid into the sheets under Izzy's sullen look who kept staring at them with a pout.

Maryse came to give them a kiss and hesitated before giving one to Magnus, fearing that he would refuse. She kissed him on top of his head and Magnus surprisingly hugged her. Alec stared at his mom who froze but she finally reacted and hugged him back before kissing him again, in the forehead this time.

''Good night,'' she murmured.

And it was Alec's turn to have his good-night kiss.

Maryse turned off the light and left the door half-open. There was a rustle of sheets and Izzy wished them a good night before falling asleep.

Alec yawned, making Magnus yawn as well and curled up.

''Did you really have fun today?'' he whispered.

Magnus moved closer and Alec felt his hair stroking his forehead. There was enough light for him to see that he was looking at him.

''Yeah, it was fun and the cookies were very good.’’

Alec smiled. ''You'll come back?''

Magnus nodded. ''You too you'll come back? We'll play with the carps.''

''Your dad won't be happy.''

''We'll play something else.''

''Like what?''

''Soccer, cops and pirates.''

It seemed like a good plan, Alec nodded. ''Okay,'' he murmured before closing his eyes.

''I like being your friend,'' Magnus suddenly whispered.

‘‘Really?'' Alec asked happily. ''Me too.''

''My English is good now?''

''Yes, I don't have to teach you anymore,'' he seriously answered.

Magnus yawned and stole him some bed-cover but Alec was too tired to protest.

He awoke suddenly with the impression of being crushed. He blinked, it was dark and his cheek was wet. He then realized that Magnus was glued to him and was tightly holding him against him. But it was his sniffles that made him react.

Magnus was crying. Alec straightened up as he could.

''You're okay?'' he whispered, hoping that Izzy wasn't awake.

Magnus didn't reply but his sniffles stopped. ''I had a nightmare,'' he finally murmured.

His voice was frightened and slightly shaking.

''You want a glass of water?'' Alec suggested.

This was what his mother was doing when he or his sister had a nightmare, with a hug. Alec hugged him and patted his back. Magnus clung to him and nodded.

Alec had trouble to get out of the bed with Magnus stuck to him but they managed to go out of the bed in the dark while holding hands.

They reached the door and opened it before going in the corridor the house seemed terrifying in the dark and Alec, who didn't want to wake up anyone, didn't turn the light on.

Magnus remained clung to him and Alec fumbled the walls to know where they were going.

The kitchen seemed far away but Magnus seemed to have calmed down and seemed to find it amusing to move in the dark.

They froze when they felt something soft and fluffy against their feet.

''It's Church?'' Magnus asked before sniffing.

Alec sincerely hoped that it was him and not a monster.

They finally reached the kitchen but it took them a lot of time to find the button to turn the light on. Magnus found it and when lit on, they jumped. Church was observing them sitting on his backside with narrowed eyes.

Alec took the opportunity to watch Magnus. His hair was a mess, his red eyes brought out the green and yellow of his iris and his cheeks were still wet with tears. His nightmare must have been very, very, very scary to make him cry, thought Alec.

He went to get a chair which he made noisily slide into the kitchen, to be able to catch a glass and fill it with water.

Magnus drank it and handed it to him. After putting it in the sink, Alec came down from his chair and stared at him. Magnus looked like he needed a hug so Alec gave him one.

''It was very scary,'' Magnus mumbled against his shoulder. ''And it's always the same.''

''The same nightmare?''

Magnus nodded and described his bad dream: a faceless woman was staring at him in a strange place where there was a huge staircase, she floated in the air and Magnus didn't dare to move, he couldn't and he couldn't breathe either, and everything became cloudy. 

Alec shivered, it was scary. He didn't recall having such a scary nightmare or one that made him cry.

''Izzy is awake,'' said Magnus.

Alec frowned, released him and turned around. His sister, with funny bed-hair, was looking at them, blinking like an owl.

''I want a hug too,'' she claimed.

''You too, you had a nightmare?'' asked Magnus.

Izzy thought for a moment. ''No, but I saw dad going to the bathroom.''

They made a group hug and the light in the living room was lit on.

''What's going on?'' asked Maryse in a tired voice. ''Go back to bed.''

''Magnus had a nightmare,'' Alec said. ''It was very scary.''

His mother frowned. ''Really? Do you want a glass of water? ''

''Alec gave me one,'' he murmured.

Maryse stroked his hair. ''It's over now, go back to bed.''

But Izzy was awake now, she didn't want to go back to bed. However, Robert neutralized her before she could run away and put her on his shoulder.

''Who had a nightmare?'' he asked hoarsely.

''Magnus,'' answered Maryse, taking the children to their room.

Robert looked at him and explained with complicated words that he shouldn't be afraid although it was scary because it was only the reflections of his deepest fears.

Magnus blinked and glanced at Alec as if he hoped that he would translate what he had said.

Maryse rolled his eyes. ''They're only five.''

''I'm three!'' claimed proudly Izzy.

Magnus frowned and looked up at her. ''I'm almost seven,'' he corrected.

Alec stared at him. ''You're seven?''

He didn't look like he was going to be seven years old. Magnus and he had the same size, even if the latter was thinner.

His friend nodded and explained that because he didn't speak English he couldn't have been with children of the same age. Alec was glad that he couldn't go with them, who would have been his friend otherwise?

They went to bed and although all the conditions were there for them to fall asleep, Magnus and Alec couldn't. Magnus, who was again in his bed, snuggled against him.

''I'm scared to have a nightmare again,'' he whispered.

Especially when it was always the same. To reassure him, Alec tried to remember the scariest nightmare he had ever had but none were this scary.

''It's only a nightmare,'' Alec whispered back, trying to think of something else for not doing bad dreams either.

Magnus finally fell asleep pretty quickly unlike him and Alec allowed himself to close his eyes. He quickly opened them when he felt something near his face and froze.

''Church ?'' he whispered.

He felt the fluffy tail and his long hair caressing his face and one of his paws on his shoulder. The cat sat on their pillows and kneaded for a long time the space between their heads. He meowed grumpily and put his bushy tail against Alec's neck, who this time, closed his eyes to sleep for good.

They had no bad dreams, even if Alec had a thought for the woman without a face who haunted Magnus' dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the mistakes as always !
> 
> So maybe you already have guessed that it would be a long story or more slow maybe, but I won't tag 'slow burn' as I don't really understand the meaning, I think it doesn't fit, and I don't really like it !  
> Anyway, I have to confess, I got ahead of myself in a frenzy whereas I still have the bonus of my first story to write (I only wrote 1/4) so I'll need to finish it first, that's why you'll have to wait for a chapter 4 (this way I'll be more organized in my head ^^)
> 
>  
> 
> Tell me your thoughts with a kudos or a comment ! And keep the puzzle boxes in mind with everything else! :)
> 
> xx


	4. Like Mulan and an awful birthday party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm definitely back, now I can entirely focus on this story ! Sorry for the wait :)

Alec woke up, slightly freezing, and frowned when he felt something tickling his nose and obstructing his eyesight. It took him some time to recognize Church's tail and blew on it when it moved. The grumpy cat, lying on his back, glanced at him in a jaded way, before moving his tail under his nose once again.

As he sat up, he began to understand why he was cold and why Magnus was sleeping so far away from him. Magnus had taken all the blankets, and was sound asleep, curled up in a corner of the folding bed while Alec was lying diagonally, in the middle of the two beds, spread out like a star. Blinking, he stared at him, wondering if he had pushed him from his own bed.

Church was now lying on his stomach and peered at the little boy with narrowed eyes before moving closer to Magnus and snuggling up against him. Alec glanced at Izzy, still asleep face down on the wall, and looked back at Magnus, wrapped in the blankets like a caterpillar in his chrysalis, not knowing what to do when everyone was still asleep.

He yawned and heard a noise coming from the kitchen, which made him get off his bed. He was hungry and no longer wanted to sleep.

He went out as silently as possible from the room and winced when he loudly closed the door before going barefoot toward the kitchen.

Alec stopped right away when he saw that it was his father and not his mother in the kitchen. It was unusual, especially to see him in sportswear and pouring water in a flask. He silently moved closer while staring at his back with curiosity. Robert didn't notice him, not even when he rested his chin on the table, near his hand.

''What are you doing? You're going to play sports?'' he asked.

Robert swore after flinching and glared at him. ''You scared me! And don't you dare to repeat what I just said!'' he stated with a frown before taking a deep breath. ''Why are you out of your bed?''

''Because I woke up and I'm hungry,'' Alec said in an obvious tone.

His father glanced at his watch, sighed and stared at him. ''You don't want to go back to bed?''

Alec shook his head. ''You're going to play sports?'' he asked again.

''Yeah, I'll run''

''Why?''

''Because mom and Izzy think I'm fat.''

Alec smiled and waited for him to feed him. Robert ruffled his hair and opened the fridge to give him a yogurt.

''Blueberry,'' Alec hastened to say, as he didn't want any yogurt.

"There's only strawberry or banana," his father said while handing him a banana yogurt.

''Strawberry then.''

Robert sighed, put back the banana yogurt in the fridge and gave him the strawberry one that Alec took contentedly.

''Do you want orange juice?''

Alec looked at him hesitantly, he would have like to have a bowl of hot milk but he sincerely doubted that his father was able to make him one, it was better to wait until his mom woke up.

Once his glass of orange juice, his spoon and his yogurt in hand, Alec comfortably sat down on a cushion in front of the TV.

"Don't spill anything," his father firmly warned him while turning the TV on to let him watch cartoons.

However, it was too early for watching cartoons on TV. Alec stared at his father, who heaved a sigh before turning off the device to go and get his computer. The little boy could have told him that one of the DVDs in the cupboard would have been enough but he was too busy to eat a big spoonful of yogurt.

''What do you like to watch?'' asked Robert with a frown right after coming back, and he sat on the couch.

Alec told him the name of his favorite cartoon but his father didn't find him and even began to get upset to not be able to find anything worth watching for a five years old kid.

''You love dinosaurs, don't you?''

Alec nodded.

"So watch this, it's a documentary about their extinction, their eating habits...it's instructive," he said while putting down the computer near Alec who saw on the screen a huge tyrannosaurus running after a small dinosaur that looked strangely like a chicken.

Robert clicked on the play button and straightened up, in a hurry to go for a run, while Alec skeptically watched the first few minutes of the documentary.

''Don't spill anything,'' he said again before shutting the front door in a slam.

Alec sipped his glass of orange juice and stared with worry at the screen. He had to close his eyes many times when a particularly ferocious dinosaur decided to go hunting to devour an adorable herbivore. But he learned a lot of things: they had really existed, had died horribly and in agony, some that Alec had as toys were really cruel, and he was very glad that they all died.

Once the documentary had ended, he randomly clicked on a cartoon in a column full of cartoons and sighed when he saw a little pig drawing while singing what he was currently drawing. Izzy loved this one and always tried to sing, more interested in the song than the drawing teaching.

''You're already awake Alec?'' said his mother with surprise behind him.

He turned around and saw her approaching in her dressing gown and slippers. He scowled when she leaned down to kiss him, preventing him from seeing - with her long hair - the dragon drawn by the little pig while singing 'scale, scale, scale'.

She picked up his yogurt pot, the spoon and the empty glass and slowly went in the kitchen with a yawn.

''Where's dad?'' she asked.

''He left to lose weight.''

Maryse snorted an opened a closet. ''Right, I had forgotten...Izzy and Magnus are still sleeping?''

''Yes,'' he answered. ''But Church wasn't sleeping.''

And he finally stood up to see what she was doing.

''Did he sleep with you?''

"Yes, thanks to him Magnus didn't have nightmares."

Maryse smiled but slightly frowned when she saw that he was barefoot. "We've adopted a therapeutic cat," she said.

''What's therapeutic?''

''It does good.''

Alec grabbed the packet of sugar she held out to him, which she had taken out of a drawer, and that he gave her back after.

''So Magnus didn't have nightmares?''

''No he slept well.''

Maryse smiled and stared at him. ''You pushed him several times out of your beds, I had to put you back properly at least three or four times during the night.''

Alec frowned and stared up at her.

''As if you were sleeping alone.''

''How do you know?'' he suspiciously asked with narrowed eyes.

''Because I'm always watching you. All the moms in the world do that.''

Alec blinked and his mom's smile widened. ''If you wake up and you see that you're properly sleeping in your bed it's thanks to me, once I even found you feet on the pillow,'' she casually said.

Alec's frown deepened while hearing that he had very bad sleeping habits.

''And Izzy?'' he asked.

''Izzy doesn't move at all,'' she said with a little smile while stirring something in a large bowl.

Alec scowled and stared at what she was doing. ''What are you doing?''

''Pancakes.''

This magic word brought out Alec's dimples, who looked at his mother with satisfaction. Then he told her everything he had learned about dinosaurs and wanted to have some diplodocus because he only had tyrannosaurs.

''They'll eat each other and my army can't lose so many soldiers.''

Maryse smiled. ''Tyrannosaurs don't eat diplodocus?''

''No they're too big and they'll protect the small herbivores, and they'll be like police officers, they'll prevent tyrannosaurs from eating each others and eating the others," he explained to convince her to buy him several diplodocus for his army.

Maryse nodded.

''So...you'll buy me my diplodocus?'' he asked full of hope.

''Does your army really need them?''

''Yes,'' he firmly said. ''Like that they'll feed my dragon.''

"I thought they had to stop the others from eating each other and that nobody could eat them?" she asked with a frown.

''Yes but my dragon is hungry too sometimes, he needs to eat too.''

"You too, take a pancake," she said while putting one on a plate.

''I was good,'' he added while taking a pancake all warm and slightly sticky. ''But not yesterday.''

''We'll see.''

It meant yes, Alec hugged her legs and Maryse affectionately pinched his cheek. After a reasonable time, he finally let go, took another pancake, and sat down on his cushion in front of the TV that he turned on and settled even more comfortably when he saw that there were cartoons.

He suddenly heard his mother chuckle but didn't turn around to see why.

''Morning Magnus, did you sleep well?''

Alec straightened up and went on the couch in order to be able to see his friend. Magnus had his hair all banged up, didn't seem to be very well awake as he was blinking like an owl, and was still wrapped in the blankets that he had taken with him and which were dragging on the floor. He nodded.

''Did you have another nightmare?''

Magnus shook his head and yawned. Church appeared beside him with his slow, heavy gait and stared up at the little boy with his orange eyes before heading towards Maryse who stroked him behind his ears before putting his bowl of food on the floor.

''Where's Alec?'' Magnus asked in a hoarse voice, gazing at the pancakes on the plate.

''Here,'' he said while resting his chin on his hands.

Magnus finally looked at him, not without staring one last time at the pancakes, with narrowed eyes.

''You pushed me several times,'' he reminded him. ''I fell out of bed."

Alec slightly frowned and gave him a puzzled look. He was about to apologize when his eyes fell on the blankets on Magnus' back.

''You took all the blankets.''

''Because you pushed me out of bed.''

''Come here and sit, it's ready,'' Maryse said while gently taking Magnus by the shoulders.

Magnus glanced at Alec with a pout, and the little boy thought that he wasn't behaving like a seven-year-old child, before following Maryse, who put breakfast on the table. After settling in, Alec watched his mom go away and found himself alone with Magnus and Church who was suspiciously looking at them.

"Why did you push me?" asked Magnus with the same pout.

Alec blinked. "I didn't do it on purpose, Mom says I'm doing this all the time."

"Pushing people?"

''Badly sleeping.''

Comforted that it wasn't against him, Magnus got immediately more joyful and still stared fervently at the pancakes. Alec stood up in his chair, grabbed a fork, which he pushed hard into the stack of pancakes and gave three of them to Magnus who brightly smiled at him. Then, he did the same in this sister's Disney Princess plate, in his parents', and took two of them for himself.

''Wait Alec, you'll spill everything,'' said his mom when she came back with Izzy in her arms.

Alec immediately put back the bottle of juice on the table and his eyes widened when he saw Magnus' empty plate.

''You've already eaten everything?'' he exclaimed in disbelief.

Magnus mischievously smiled and Maryse poured them a large glass of orange juice after settling Izzy on her chair. Her hair was messy and strangely looked like a bird's nest. She blinked, stared at her plate with a little smile and pushed the pancakes off her plate to see which princess was on it.

''Izzy,'' their mother firmly said while giving more pancakes to Magnus.

''Where's dad?'' she suddenly asked with a frown.

''He slims down outside,'' Alec answered before taking a large bite of his pancake oozing with maple syrup.

Izzy nodded, stared at Magnus who was stuffing himself, and looked at Church while chewing.

"Why Church doesn't have pancakes in his bowl?"

''Because he's a cat,'' said Maryse who could finally sit down.

Izzy babbled about the tasty pancakes and Church until they finished their breakfast.

''Did you eat well Magnus?'' asked Maryse while clearing the table.

The latter enthusiastically nodded and followed her in the kitchen to pet Church who hastened to hide in a corner as soon as he got closer.

The doorbell suddenly rang and Izzy enthusiastically ran toward the door.

''Who is it?'' she shouted.

Alec moved closer with curiosity and stood near her in front of the door.

''I forgot my keys,'' said the familiar voice of their father.

''That's not good,'' said Izzy while wiping her nose against her hand.

She clearly didn't want to open the door and stared at it with a little smile as if it was highly amusing that their dad was stuck outside. Alec then decided to open it and shivered when he felt the cold weather. Robert ruffled his hair and let out a grunt of contentment when he came in.

Alec frowned, as he didn't notice any change. ''You didn't lose that much weight,'' he stated with a puzzled look. ''You should have run faster, '' he seriously added.

His father stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"He could have run faster if he didn't smoke," Maryse casually commented as she finished clearing the table. ''Right Robert?''

The latter winced and stared at her. Izzy lifted her head towards them and decided to step in to defend him.

''He doesn't smoke all the time!''

Maryse's eyes narrowed. ''Because you smoke in front of the children on top of that?''

"No, he smokes in secret," Izzy said, twitching her nose, while Alec went to see what Magnus was doing in the kitchen.

''I stopped,'' Robert loudly protested.

''I hope for you otherwise I'll be the one who'll make you run faster,'' calmly stated Maryse with a glare before gently pushing Alec out of her way.

Robert heaved a sigh and went to the bathroom to get change.

Magnus was squatting and was stroking Church's fluffy fur, whereas the grumpy cat was loudly drinking in his bowl while keeping an eye on him. Alec crouched beside him and patiently waited for them to finish looking at each other before suggesting to Magnus to play at the reconstitution of the dinosaurs' death.

''Izzy come here, you have to brush your teeth, you too boys,'' said Maryse while wiping her hands on a dishcloth after washing the dishes. ''There're pancakes left,'' she added for her husband with a sly smile.

The latter ignored her and opened the fridge while Magnus and Alec were taken to the bathroom.

"Izzy," Maryse called again.

Izzy arrived in a trot and sped up when she saw that they were going in the bathroom first.

"It's not a race," their mother sighed.

Unfortunately for her, Magnus got first which earned him a glare from Izzy who had wanted to be first to come in the bathroom. Alec glanced at her, walked up to the stepladder, took his toothbrush with Spiderman, his sister's one with a princess and Magnus' one with Batman, then the toothpaste before stepping down.

''Scrub,'' said Maryse. ''I want your teeth to shine.''

And she went out from the bathroom to get their clothes for the day.

Izzy finished first and she had very badly brushed her teeth. Alec held her by the arm.

''Brush your teeth,'' he said. ''Mom wants them to shine.''

''And they don't shine, '' commented Magnus, who climbed up the stepladder to spit in the sink.

Izzy reluctantly and grumpily brushed her teeth again and they all had to smile to show that they had correctly brushed their teeth. Maryse looked pleased and helped them to dress.

''Where's my tiara?'' asked Izzy with a frown.

''On the couch,'' sighed Maryse while putting on her a t-shirt.

Once her head out, Izzy glanced at her brother and Magnus, and pointed her finger at the latter's chest when she saw the scar he had. Maryse closed her hand on hers and lowered it while whispering something too low for Alec and Magnus to hear.

They were all dressed, clean and groomed, Izzy had her tiara and her splint, so the day could finally begin.

 

''I can stay in pajamas at home,'' said Magnus before sitting on the soft carpet in the toys room.

''Mom doesn't want me or Izzy to stay in pajamas,'' Alec retorted.

He was about to close the door when Church sneaked inside to watch them play. Under the amazed eyes of Magnus, the grumpy cat pushed the doll that was in the doll stroller to take its spot and settled comfortably inside.

''I want a cat,'' declared Magnus while staring at him.

''You can take him,'' Alec suggested while closing the door.

He then opened the toy box and pulled out all his dinosaurs while Magnus put his dragon on the carpet. They aligned the army all around the supreme master, under the fluffy cat's orange gaze, and Alec sat up with satisfaction.

"Why the lady in your nightmare doesn't have a face?" he asked while trying to make a volcano with Izzy's modeling clay.

Magnus shrugged. ''I don't know, mom said it's not normal to always have the same nightmare.''

He carried on making a big ball in his hands with the modeling clay and glanced at the dinosaurs.

''We have to kill all of them?''

Alec nodded. "Yes but not my dragon, he has wings and he's the strongest."

Magnus smiled and continued making his ball bigger and bigger to make a meteorite, mixing the different colors of the modeling clay together. Alec had to repeat the word  _meteorite_  several times before Magnus was able to correctly pronounce it. He didn't know how to say it in Indonesian but knew how to say  _big ball_ , so now Alec knew how to say  _big ball_  in Indonesian.

But the meteorite wasn't big enough and there wasn't enough modeling clay. Alec stood up. "Don't move, I'm coming back."

And he went to take some aluminum foil in the kitchen. His parents were on the couch, his father was reading the newspaper, his mother was stroking his sister's hair who was snuggled up against her while watching Snow White.

Alec was able to discreetly sneak into the kitchen and had to open several closets to find what he was looking for. He grabbed the silver roll, slipped it under his sweater, and silently went back into the playroom where Magnus was stroking Church's paw that was dangling in the void.

They made a huge meteorite that required a lot of aluminum foil. Then they had fun by knocking out all the dinosaurs by throwing it on them until they were all lying on the floor. The meteorite in modeling clay was left out as Magnus had inadvertently stepped on it.

The door of the room opened and Maryse's eyes widened when she saw the mess and what they had used the aluminum foil for, but she said nothing and looked at Magnus.

''Your mom is here Magnus.''

The little boy winced and a flash blinded Alec and him. Mrs. Bane was here, just behind Alec's mom with a wide and bright smile.

''I don't want to go home,'' Magnus firmly said before exchanging a sulky pout with Alec who didn't want him to leave either. ''There're cookies, Alec and pancakes here.''

Maryse smiled and the boys stood up reluctantly before following them. Mrs. Bane smelled very good and had a long grayish blue coat, with her white gloves in one hand. She got back her son's stuff while he was telling her everything, like how he had fun in the park, how he got punished, how fun it was to draw on Alec's face, how he had pushed him during his sleep, how good were the pancakes and how he had learned to say meteorite. But not once did he talk about his nightmare that had made him cry as it had been so scary.

It was Maryse who spoke about it and Magnus who apparently wouldn't have like her to talk about it, glared up at her and scowled. Mrs. Bane had listened to her little Magnus talking with a big smile that faded away to turn into an anxious wince.

''Again?'' she said. ''Still the same?'' she asked.

Magnus nodded and it made her sigh.

''He always has the same nightmare, even in Jakarta he had it,'' she murmured to Alec's mother who frowned.

"Do you know why?"

''They were unable to tell us, he was found in the street, maybe he saw something that...''

Both of them looked with worry at a grumpy Magnus that Alec was staring at. They were as grumpy as each other and were leaning against the wall of the corridor waiting for their mothers to finish talking. When they saw that getting Magnus' bag would take longer than expected, they went into the living room and settled on the carpet, next to Izzy, sitting on a cushion in front of the TV, who was watching Mulan the mouth slightly half-opened.

Izzy no longer wore her tiara, which was now around Church's neck. The cat glared at them and hastened to hide into the kitchen.

''You're still here?'' she asked Magnus.

Magnus slightly frowned. It was quite obvious that he was still here.

''I'm going soon,'' he simply replied while glancing at Alec.

Izzy stared at him, glanced behind her to see where her mother was and looked back at the screen.

''They all have slanted eyes like you,'' she noticed while pointing a finger at the screen.

Magnus nodded and glanced at Alec.

''Who's your favorite princess?'' she asked.

''I don't have any.''

Izzy looked at him in a displeased way and then turned toward her brother.

''Mulan,'' Alec hastened to say but he liked Rapunzel too, she could do a lot of cool stuff with her long blond hair and she had a chameleon.

She nodded, approving his choice and hastened to take all the Disney princesses DVDs from the closet so that Magnus could choose his favorite princess. She carefully aligned them in front of him and prompted him to choose quickly.

Magnus' gaze, which betrayed an intense concentration, wandered over all the DVDs covers. He seemed undecided and cast an anxious glance at Alec and Izzy, who were staring at him, waiting for him to make his choice.

''I don't know,'' he murmured.

Izzy heaved a sigh and shook her head, afflicted by so much ignorance. She then explained to him how this or that princesses were so neat and Magnus attentively listened, or at least he pretended, whereas Alec got bored to listen to his sister talking about princesses that he already knew.

"You'd like to marry who?" Izzy continued asking.

''No one.''

''Pick one of them.''

Magnus narrowed his eyes. ''I can't, they're not real.''

Izzy opened her mouth, very displeased, but was interrupted by Mrs. Bane's laugh, who noisily came into the living room with the clapping sound of her heels, followed closely by Robert and Maryse, who immediately noticed the mess on the carpet.

Magnus stood up, resigned to leave. Alec imitated him and followed him into the entrance, slightly scowling.

''You'll see each other on Monday, and Monday is tomorrow,'' said Mrs. Bane with a big smile for Alec. ''Put on your shoes and your coat sweetheart,'' she added for her little Magnus.

Everyone was gathered in the corridor to send him off. Even Izzy who was staring at him. Maryse stroked her hair and she snuggled against her leg, eyes still focused on him.

Magnus looked uncomfortable, he still seemed to not know whether she liked him or not with everything that had happened and even with the good times, they had spent together, like walking hand in hand in the park with a bunch of dead leaves, drawing on Alec sleeping face and watching Mulan.

She suddenly stepped forwards, while Mrs. Bane readjusted his coat, and handed him her bracelet with pink and purple beads.

''You didn't keep my bunch of leaves,'' she stated after finally noticing that he hadn't kept it.

Magnus blinked and took it, and Izzy ran away without saying goodbye. Maybe she still hadn't forgiven him for stealing Alec from her but she seemed to tolerate him now. Magnus put the bracelet around his wrist and brightly smiled at Alec who wondered if he was really going to keep it.

*

By dint of watching Mulan, Izzy wanted to do everything like her and had stopped wearing her tiara and dresses.

Alec and she quietly were playing while their father was in his study calling someone. Izzy was doing as if she was Mulan herself whereas Church was Mushu, since Alec hadn't wanted to lend his dragon to her.

Mushu wasn't very cooperative but Izzy made do.

Alec stopped looking at his dragon who was keeping the puzzle box and stared at his sister who was loudly playing. He hadn't wanted to play Mulan with her because she wanted him to be the villain, which meant that he would have lost all the time.

"You're not Mulan," he said while landing his dragon. ''If you were her, you would have short hair.''

Izzy immediately stopped an imaginary battle and touched her long dark braids with two sparkly butterflies at the end. She stared at her hair with a frown and seemed to agree with what he had just said.

''I need to cut them?'' she asked with a small voice.

Alec nodded.

''But I don't have a sword.''

''You can take scissors,'' he suggested.

Izzy brightly smiled and left the room to go and get them while Alec once again tried to open his puzzle box that he quickly put down. He still couldn't open it and decided to put his dragon on it.

Church moved closer, sniffed the dragon, and Alec narrowed his eyes.

''Are you hungry?'' he asked.

The grumpy cat stared at him and went into Izzy's doll stroller, his usual place.

"Alec, where're the scissors?" Izzy asked on the doorframe.

The latter stood up, leaving his battlefield behind him to help his little sister to look like Mulan.

"Let's go," he sighed while walking her into the bathroom, his sister following him closely.

He turned the light on and opened all the drawers looking for a toilet kit where he had previously seen a small pair of scissors. Izzy watched him silently until she saw makeup and threw herself on this.

All sharp or cutting objects were usually hidden or put out of their reach, but Alec had spotted the little scissors before and was quite happy to have noticed them.

''Ooooooh,'' said Izzy when she saw the pretty color of a lipstick, which she immediately put in the pocket of her pants.

Alec smiled when he found the scissors and quickly put them in his pocket, which was a good thing given that the half-open door of the bathroom suddenly opened wider.

''What are you doing?'' asked their father with a frown seeing the drawers open and some stuff here and there on the floor.

Izzy and Alec did their best to appear innocent but Robert was used to their tricks. Fortunately for them, his phone rang and he hastened to answer while keeping an eye on them and standing in their way.

Alec slipped into the space between the door and his father, and his sister did the same with a giggle.

"Be good!" Robert firmly said before resuming his phone conversation.

When they reached the toy room, Alec pulled his sister by the arm and almost pushed her inside. He carefully closed the door whereas Izzy pushed some dinosaurs and sat down ready to be fully like Mulan.

He took the scissors out of his pocket and moved closer, slightly excited at the thought of what he was going to do. Izzy's eyes widened as she saw him grab one of her braids and she suddenly seemed much more hesitant and even reluctant.

She looked up. ''I want to be like Mulan.''

Alec reassured her and began to cut at her shoulders level. Only the screeching of the scissors on Izzy's black hair could be heard. Intensely concentrated, Alec hardly breathed while Izzy, motionless and stiffly, stared at Church grooming himself not far from her dollhouse.

The scissors were too small and badly cut but Alec gradually managed to cut the first braid that he let fall on the ground with a satisfied smile. Izzy's hand reached for her braid that she took on her knees and lengthily looked at it. If she had long hair it was to do like their mom who had really long, long hair or her dolls or even princesses.

Feeling her hesitation, Alec repeated the magic words. ''You'll be like Mulan.''

And he did the same with the second braid which joined the other on the floor. Alec cast a satisfied look at his work without noticing that one side was longer than the other or that it wasn't straight at all. Izzy looked like Mulan way more than before.

She touched her hair, got up and without a glance ran out of the room, probably to see what it looked like in the mirror of the bathroom. Alec picked up the braids on the floor, put the scissors in his pocket and followed her.

On the small stepladder, she was staring at herself.

''It'll grow back?'' she asked with a small voice.

Alec nodded and put back the scissors approximately where he had found them.

''You don't like it?''

Izzy didn't answer, she was like Mulan now and Mulan didn't care about her hair, right? She let out a warrior's cry that sounded more like a squeal, raised an imaginary sword and ran looking for her faithful Mushu, while Alec got rid of her hair and threw it into the kitchen garbage can. He glanced hesitantly at the elastic-butterflies and shrugged.

Much later, when Alec was trying to read a story for a tired Mulan and a jaded Mushu, they heard a roar which startled them.

''ISABELLE!''

They exchanged a panicked look and Alec closed his book. They soon heard the sound of footsteps, the footsteps of a giant who came closer and closer and stopped right in front of the door, which suddenly opened on a Robert with clenched jaws, wide eyes full of anger and a red face.

And in his right hand were Izzy's braids.

At the thought that he had taken them from the trash, Alec slightly winced.

Izzy immediately pointed an accusing finger at her brother. ''It's Alec,'' she only said while staring at her hair in his hand.

The little boy flinched when the furious gaze at his father was on him.

''She wanted to look like Mulan so I helped her,'' he explained.

Robert stared at him for a few seconds before looking once again at his sister.

''I look away for five seconds and that's what happens..,'' he mumbled, dumbfounded. ''With what did you cut her hair?'' he suddenly and firmly asked.

Alec was forced to tell and show him, and to his surprise was led to the corner, near the TV, under Church's amber eyes who hadn't missed anything.

''Stand upright and look at the wall,'' his father ordered with a strong and authoritative voice. ''If I catch you doing something else, you'll be...uh... I'll take away your dragon and all your dinosaurs.''

Alec stiffened and looked at the wallpaper. He didn't understand why he got punished and felt a deep sense of injustice that saddened him and made him angry.

And suddenly Izzy began to sob. He wanted to turn around to see what was going on, but immediately thought about his dragon and his dinosaurs. From what he could hear, when she had asked him if her hair would grow back and that he had answered yes, his sister had meant  _if they would grow back to look like before the day after._ Obviously not and she couldn't stop crying.

 

Alec heard his name mentioned several times and discreetly turned to see that she was in their father's arms who was doing his best to make her stop crying. Between several sobs, a  _like Mulan_  could be heard.

"We can't have everything," Robert said simply while patting her back. "Why did you want to look like Mulan?" he asked. "You're fine the way you are."

''Alec told me I wasn't really like her if I didn't have short hair,'' Izzy whined between several sobs.

''And mom just arrived,'' sighed Robert, hearing the sound of a car in the driveway. ''Look at the wall Alec.''

They waited in silence, heard the rattle of the lock, the sound of the door, the footsteps, the door closing, the clinking of the lock, the noise made by the keys, the shoes, again the footsteps and then nothing. If not a sigh.

"We have a hairdresser and a little Mulan in this house," Robert said quickly as Izzy sniffled.

Strangely, Maryse didn't seem surprised. She tried to comfort Izzy but immediately asked Alec how he did that. Robert then showed her the weapon and declared that Alec incurred a sentence of one hour in the corner. 

Obviously, the reason for the punishment wasn't the same for his parents. For his mother, Alec was punished for having touched the scissors without permission, whereas for his father it was for having cut his sister's hair.

Alec sighed and continued to stare at the wall, quickly joined by Church who lay down right beside his feet.

The next day, Izzy went to the hairdresser's and now had a bobbed hairstyle which Hodge, who had seen her when she was in town with their mom, had found very cute. He had laughed when Maryse had told him what Alec had done, and had affectionately pinched Izzy's cheek before going to work in his shop.

A few days later, when he opened the toy box, Alec noticed that his mom had cut off almost all of his sister's dolls hair. He grabbed one and stared at the ugly hairstyle with a frown, put it back inside, took his dragon and closed the toy box.

*

It snowed for the first time of the year on Magnus' birthday. Alec was very late and had to remind his father that they had a gift to take with them.

He didn't know what was the present as he hadn't bought it. He hadn't even thought about asking his mom what it was. But one thing was sure, it was big and slightly heavy.

Maryse had taken Izzy with her to work, as no one had been able to keep her today and Hodge was busy at the moment. His little sister had taken many toys in her little bag, had taken her book _Bunny the witch_  and Alec had agreed to lend her some dinosaurs for a tea party.

‘‘Ready?'' breathed out his dad while closing the door.

Alec carefully walked down the slippery stairs and trampled the thin layer of grayish snow to go to the car, followed closely by Robert who held him by the hood to avoid a possible fall.

''Don't forget your belt,'' he reminded him before closing the car's door.

There were traffic jams on the road and Alec no longer counted the number of times he had heard his father honk and curse at the driver in front of him.

''I don't think that they'll plan anything outside but don't go outside if that's the case,'' his father warned him in the rearview mirror. ''Alec?''

''Yeah.''

''And don't cut anyone's hair,'' he snorted.

Alec rolled his eyes and sighed. He could hear this sentence everyday and his parents thought it was extremely funny, even now when it was no longer the case.

Robert put his blinker and Alec straightened up when he saw all the cars in front of Magnus' house and even in the driveway. There were a lot of people.

"Looks like they invited all the kids in the town," Robert noted while parking next to a white car.

Alec rushed outside of the car, impatient to walk in the snow that was white here. There was much more here and he enjoyed leaving footsteps in the spotless areas while his father was taking Magnus' present in the trunk.

Robert stared at him for a long time before taking his hand. He walked so fast that Alec thought it would be better to be dragged along, and stopped walking to slide in the snow, clinging with both hands at his father's one.

''Faster,'' he asked with a wide smile.

"I'll slide if I go faster," Robert mechanically replied but he walked faster and almost slipped when they reached the staircase covered with white grains and where the snow had melted.

They quickly climbed up the stairs and rang the doorbell.

Alec looked with great interest at the red, green and golden mistletoe hanging on the door. Overexcited hollers of children could be heard from outside, Alec anxiously wondered how many of them were already inside and if it explained why Mrs. Bane still hadn't opened the door.

Alec's father rang again and this time the door opened and a dark-haired teenage girl with freckles appeared.

''Hello,'' she said.

Robert frowned when he heard the noise inside and immediately put his hand on Alec's head, who looked up at him.

''It's the jungle inside,'' he said while handing her the gift.

The girl nodded. She was Charles-Philippe's big sister and was here to help as there were a lot of kids inside the huge mansion. Even her didn't know which way to look, none of the adults inside currently did.

''Mrs. Bane has been too ambitious,'' she stated while grabbing Alec by the shoulder to take him inside

''Have fun,'' sighed Robert after ruffling his hair and he walked down the marble staircase.

Alec stepped backwards when he saw the mess inside. It was chaotic and nothing looked like last time, everything had been transformed for a huge birthday party and to receive many children. Absolutely everything had changed, from the floor to the ceiling.

There were a lot of kids that he didn't know -and who were slightly older for some of them-, lots of adults, a cotton candy booth and a booth to get the make up of their dreams.

Alec frowned, slightly disoriented by so many colors and people. Charles-Philippe's older sister helped him to take off his coat, cap, scarf, gloves and shoes before asking him what was his name.

''Alec.''

''I think Magnus and Chaph were looking for you earlier,'' she said with a little smile before gently pushing him into the living room covered with a green carpet.

Alec frowned and tried to spot them, unsuccessfully. He watched her taking his present away and mingled with the crowd of little devils. He saw James and wondered why he was here given that he didn't like Magnus very much, he saw Summer and his classmates but still no Magnus. 

He was shoved several times and unfortunately tripped up a few children before spotting Mrs. Bane, elegantly dressed in a silky gray dress, bare-footed with blood-red fingernails. She was talking with several ladies equally elegantly dressed and all equally barefoot.

''My little pumpkin,'' she chirped as soon as she saw him and fell on him to kiss him.

She put a big kiss on his cheek, asked him how he was doing, how long he had been here and if he had seen Magnus.

Alec shook his head which made her sigh.

''If you find him tell him to come and see me, have fun sweetheart.''

Alec wasn't really enjoying himself and had to face facts, Magnus was hiding and was very well hidden. He couldn't be found. At least downstairs. So, Alec looked up at the stairs and saw Mr. Bane, dressed all in black with a suit, going down. Alec's gaze immediately went on the pretty fountain converted in a ball pit full of colorful plastic balls.

 _Where did the koi carps go?_ he confusedly wondered while moving closer after spotting Charles-Philippe who had just jumped into the balls and was having fun throwing them at the others, especially his big sister who sent him a blue ball in the head.

Alec crouched to pick up a green ball near his foot and stepped over the bronze rim to join his friend who was having a swim.

''Alec,'' Charles-Philippe cheerfully said. ''Magnus is looking for you.''

And he got buried under the balls that his sister poured into the fountain.

"You did it on purpose!" he roared.

Alec tried to make himself very small and to go out discreetly when a battle of ball was suddenly triggered by Chaph. He massaged the back of his head after receiving a ball and was relieved to have his feet again on the green carpet. He lowered his eyes when he felt a strange sensation under one of his feet and noticed that he had lost a sock in the heat of the moment.

He didn't want to go back inside the fountain and continued his quest but stopped first at the cotton candy booth where the lady who was in charge complimented him about his sweet face and asked why he was wearing only one sock.

Alec shrugged, he didn't really know either.

''Did you see Magnus?'' he asked while taking the big pink cotton candy she held out to him.

She smiled. ''No, he immediately disappeared right after I gave him his cotton candy.''

Alec sighed, bit into the light and sticky candy, and smiled when he felt the fluffy thing melt on his tongue. Izzy would be terribly jealous if she knew that he had been allowed to eat cotton candy. She loved it.

''Thank you,'' he said.

''You're welcome sweetheart,'' she giggled before preparing another cotton candy for a blonde girl, taller than Alec.

He got into a corner where he couldn't be shoved to eat quietly. He quickly finished his cotton candy and licked the stick while looking at a tall and thin man with shoulder-length hair and artistically dressed up who was taking pictures with his huge camera hanging with a badge around his neck.

When he spotted Alec, the man narrowed his eyes.

"I didn't take a picture of you yet," he said, while holding up his camera.

The little boy didn't give him time to immortalize his cute face and ran out from his reach. Even though these photos were for Magnus' birthday album, Alec had no intention of being photographed so easily, besides it was fun. He had found a game to kill time while waiting for Magnus to come out from his hiding place: fleeing from the photographer who, after several attempts, refused to run after him anymore, and went to take a break at the cotton candy booth.

Not knowing if he could go upstairs or not, Alec carefully looked around him and quickly climbed as discreetly as he could the stairs. He was sure to find Magnus over there.

There was no carpet in the corridor and the contact with the floor, smooth and cold, made him wince. He should have looked for his second sock when it was still time. He looked at the doors for a long time, not knowing where to go as he didn't remember where was Magnus' room. And he didn't know if Mr. Bane had gone up or not, so he didn't dare to call him either.

After thinking carefully, he decided to open all the doors -allowing himself to explore each room-. The corridor was very quiet and soothed Alec's ears, even though a few screams could still be heard from where he was. He glanced behind him and leaned on the golden handle of the first door.

It was a bathroom, huge, white, luxurious, Alec immediately closed the door and went to the next room.

Some were closed, others were only bedrooms, there was a library, a room full of clothes, one was locked, and then Alec fell on another bathroom that he recognized.

After making sure that Magnus wasn't here, he was about to close the door when he heard a little noise, like a splash in the water. Alec stood motionless for a moment and cautiously approached the huge bathtub. He let out a little cry of surprise and rushed on the rim to see two black and white koi carps swimming on the water bottom.

So Mr. Bane had put them here.

Relieved that they weren't dead, Alec watched them swim for a moment before wondering where the others were. He hadn't checked the other bathtubs. He went back, went several times in the wrong rooms, and sighed with relief when he found the other two bathrooms.

The other carps were all in different tubs.

Alec looked at them for a long time before remembering that he had to find Magnus, even if by seeking him he had found the pretty big carps.

He went back to where he was before and opened another door. It was another huge bedroom that gave off a little something different, like his parents' one. Everything was gray with a mixture of purple which gave the room a special atmosphere. Alec shyly slid his head inside and spotted on the huge vanity worthy of a princess -that Izzy would have liked- a bag of cookies.

He went in and carefully closed the door behind him.

"Magnus?" he called while getting closer to the bed.

He squeaked out when he felt something wrapping around his ankle, which made him stumble, and he collapsed on the floor. He knew it, the monster under the bed existed for real. He apprehensively looked at his ankle and saw Magnus, a big smile on his face covered with a pirate make up, with a black headband, a scar, and even a parrot drawn on his right cheek.

''I knew it was you,'' he trumpeted while releasing him. ''Hide with me.''

Alec's eyes narrowed. ''Why did you make me fall?'' he asked while massaging his painful knee.

"To check if it was really you, why do you have only one sock?"

Alec stopped rubbing his kneecap and shrugged.

"What's your gift?" asked Magnus with a small smile that made his dimples stand out and narrowed his eyes.

''It's a surprise.''

''What kind of surprise?'' Magnus insisted, sliding back under the bed.

Alec did the same and saw the toys he had brought with him under the bed in order to kill time. ''A surprise is a surprise and if you're not surprised when you open a present then it's not a surprise.''

Magnus frowned and stuck his cheek against the floor. ''So you're present is a surprise?'' he suspiciously asked as if  _surprise_  was a toy.

Alec nodded and imitated him before staring at him straight in the eyes.

''Why are you hiding? Everyone is looking for you, even your mom.''

Magnus winced and a sad pout appeared on his face. ''There're too many people and I don't know everyone,'' he mumbled.

Alec looked at him for a long time and grabbed one of the small cars he had accidentally offered him before turning on his back to make the green car roll on the gray wooden board of the bed.

"You don't like your birthday party?"

Magnus didn't answer and they played under the bed with the small cars. They were having fun until Magnus wanted another cotton candy that he called ''fluffy pink candy thing'' as he didn't remember the name.

''Me too,'' said Alec.

But none of them wanted to leave the hiding place, Magnus because there were too many people downstairs and Alec because the photographer would run after him and because there were too many people for him as well.

Seriously concentrated, Magnus was thinking about a plan with his chin resting on his hands, glued to the floor. How to get a cotton candy without being noticed? And they were a bit thirsty and wouldn't be against a glass of orange juice.

They stiffened and exchanged a panicked look when the door of the room suddenly opened. They immediately stuck their cheek to the floor to identify the feet, but unfortunately, for them, the bed cover was too long and prevented them from seeing who was here.

The person walked into the room and when the said person reached he foot of the bed, Alec could see black pants and red socks with reindeers on them. He immediately thought about Mr. Bane, that Magnus confirmed with a murmur: ''it's my dad.''

They exchanged an excited smile and feverishly waited for him to leave, but he didn't. They crawled back when they saw one knee land on the floor, then another, and Mr. Bane's head appeared with a small smile.

Alec immediately spotted the cotton candy in his hand.

Mr. Bane raised his eyebrows when he noticed that Magnus wasn't alone.

''Hello Alec,'' he greeted him.

Alec smiled.

"It seemed to me that I saw you a while ago but you quickly disappeared... I only have one cotton candy unfortunately and this is the last one. It's yours if you get out from your hideout."

It was huge. Magnus and Alec exchanged a glance and simultaneously crawled out from under the bed. As promised, Mr. Bane gave them the cotton candy that they shared after sitting on the bed.

Alec took two handful, which he let melt on his tongue, leaving the rest to Magnus, who narrowed his eyes in a please way.

Mr. Bane slightly frowned when he saw Alec's foot without any sock and he quietly left.

"How did he know where to find us?" Alec asked after licking his fingers.

Magnus rubbed his chin where there was a bit of cotton candy left and shrugged.

''I don't know, I lose all the time when we play hide-and-seek. He says that it's an intutition.''

''Intuition,'' Alec immediately corrected him.

''Intuition,'' Magnus repeated while licking his lips to make sure there was nothing left.

Mr. Bane came back with a striped sock that he had taken in Magnus' cloth drawer for Alec who immediately put it on under the puzzled look of his friend.

"I have socks prettier than that."

Mr. Bane sat down beside them on the bed, pulling on his black pants, before crossing his hands and looking at them for a long time.

"You don't like this little party?" he softly asked.

Alec didn't answer and looked at Magnus, who looked uncomfortable.

''I agree,'' he said which made Alec frown.

With what did he agree?

''Your mom has decided to think big, she wanted to do well,'' he added before staying quiet. "What about going downstairs? It's time to blow out the candles and open all your gifts.''

"And eat the cake," Magnus added.

''And eat the cake.''

"And you, you like the party?" asked Alec with curiosity.

Mr. Bane smiled. ''Let's say that I also wanted to hide.''

"Why didn't you hide with us?" Magnus asked.

Alec immediately imagined Mr. Bane with them under the bed, playing with them with the little cars, and he didn't really like it, all in all it was a good thing that he hadn't been hiding with them.

''Your mom wouldn't have been very happy if I had hidden.''

''And there wouldn't have been space for you,'' added very seriously Alec.

Mr. Bane snorted and stood up. ''Come one, it's time to go now.''

They didn't go down as Mr. Bane -who apparently didn't want to go down by himself- absolutely wanted to see his carps before.

''They're fine,'' Alec said to reassure him.

Mr. Bane raised an eyebrow and smiled before opening the door of one of the bathrooms in which Alec and Magnus rushed to see the fishes in the bathtub.

There were four of them and Alec confusedly wondered if he had ever seen them.

"Marie Curie isn't in a good shape," Mr. Bane commented mechanically, looking worried as he leaned over the rim.

Alec stared at him, puzzled. ''Who's Mary Curry?'' he asked.

Magnus who knew showed him with his finger who  _Mary Curry_ was: the koi carp with the clearest colors. Alec didn't know they had a name and hastened to ask what were the names of the others. In the bathtub, he met -besides Marie Curie- Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Louis Pasteur.

Magnus had trouble pronouncing them correctly and twisted their names several times, making Mr. Bane wince, who corrected him every time. He then took them to see Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, the black and white carps that Alec had previously seen, Isaac Newton and René Descartes, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, and then Plenty Coups.

Mr. Bane watched his carps with love and that little smile that made Magnus sigh and even roll his eyes when his dad began to explain the origin of these names and the history of these historical figures. After a long speech to which Alec hadn't understood everything and still less remembered, he was tested. The little boy nervously squeezed his hands, worried about the thought of failing, and glanced at Magnus, who was ready to whisper the answers.

Alec vaguely remembered everything and fortunately, Magnus was here to mimic behind his father with great reinforcements of gestures and winces or to nod with a small smile when he had the good answer.

''What about Plenty Coups?'' asked very seriously Mr. Bane.

Alec remembered, it was the only Indian. ''It's an Indian?''

"Is that all?"

Alec glanced at Magnus, who mimed a bird flying. He remembered it as it made him think about Hodge and his crow.

''He was from the Mountain Crows tribe ?''

''And what did he do ?''

Magnus shrugged, he didn't know either. Seeing that none of them knew, Mr. Bane again told the story of this Indian chief who had had visions. Alec and Magnus exchanged a jaded look and sighed, waiting impatiently for him to finish in order get out of this bathroom.

Magnus looked impatient to go downstairs, just like Alec who as soon as Mr. Bane closed his mouth to catch his breath rushed into the corridor. Magnus shoved him, took his arm and ran to the stairs.

''Don't run,'' Mr. Bane said while carefully closing the door behind them.

Alec slowed down, Magnus' birthday party was much less chaotic than it had been a few moments ago, he noticed, resting his chin on the golden railing. Magnus looked at him for a moment and sat down on a step with his forehead stuck to the strange patterns of the handrail.

It was highly amusing to look at everyone from here, Alec smiled when he spotted Chaph running after the photograph with a sword. Then, he noticed Mrs. Bane who seemed to not know which way to look at with the other adults, and she was obviously still looking for Magnus.

''We're going downstairs? '' suggested Alec.

Magnus nodded and got up before slowly walking down the stairs that separated them from the floor. They were shoved several times while trying to reach the fountain and gave up going there for a quieter place.

Magnus looked terrified to be surrounded by so many people and whispered something in Indonesian while taking Alec's hand who squeezed his, before dragging him to the make-up booth. He also wanted a makeup of a pirate or a dragon tamer, he hadn't decided yet.

There was no one at the booth since everyone almost had makeup on and the makeup artist was busy on her phone, Alec stood out in front of her with Magnus.

"Hi my bunnies, what would you like?’’

Alec explained what he wanted while Magnus was looking with curiosity at all the brushes and palettes on the table. He was now a dragon tamer and the lady remade Magnus' makeup by adding a beard.

They brightly smiled at each other and tried again to go into the fountain which was without a doubt the most popular playground in the whole house. They didn't jump in with both feet as they saw other children do it, but went in cautiously and were soon bombarded with balls by Chaph on whom Magnus rushed. Charles-Philippe disappeared for a moment under the balls while Alec found with surprise his sock which immediately disappeared again because of a wave of balls.

He squeaked out when Magnus threw himself on him with a big smile to drown him while bombarding him until Mrs. Bane finally noticed her son and rushed over to see if he was having fun. Alec took advantage of it to throw himself on Chaph in order to take revenge for the ball he had received in his head.

He was then blinded by a flash which made him lift his head and he saw the photographer looking at him with a satisfied smile.

"I got you," he said before going away as if nothing had happened.

Alec frowned, watched him move away with a puzzled look and Magnus threw himself once again at him with a warrior cry.

They were having fun finally but Alec had noticed that some of the kids didn't know who Magnus was. They were at the birthday party of a Magnus Bane but they didn't know who he was among all of them.

Alec didn't like them as they didn't care at all about Magnus.

A drawing lot occurred to found out who would have the privilege of hitting the pirate shaped piñata hanging on the ceiling by a rope. Alec and Magnus remained blissfully amazed by this cool thing.

All the children were gathered around the piñata and Mrs. Bane gave Magnus a baseball bat, then the photographer took a lot of pictures of him. All eyes were focused on him and his uneasiness was palpable, especially after he realized that the game consisted of destroying the pirate shaped piñata that he found so amazing.

Magnus looked like he wanted to disappear with all those looks focused on his every move. He looked at the smiling face of his mother, who was about to blindfold him, and then stared at the piñata, and seemed to be willing to do what everyone was expecting of him: to destroy with the baseball bat what he found really pretty.

As soon as he had struck his first blow, rather weak, and after several unsuccessful attempts, he hastened to get rid of the baseball bat, the thing that was blindfolding him and quickly joined Alec who gave him a big smile. Magnus seemed relieved to no longer be in the center of attention and his father stroked his hair to congratulate him.

''There isn't very much more,'' he murmured.

Indeed, the table -which was huge- was already ready with plenty of cutlery. Magnus immediately started looking for the cake but his attention was drawn to all the sweets that fell from the pirate ripped open.

Alec stepped back and pulled Magnus by the arm when all the children rushed over the candies on the floor, fearing to be shoved or trampled. Chaph entrusted them with his candies that he had picked up and turned around to pick some more.

''They're mine,'' he clarified when he came back.

Alec nodded whereas Magnus gave him what was in his hands to follow him under Alec's jaded eyes. He stared at his hands full of candies and his mismatched socks, thinking about the one he had found for a moment in the fountain.

Magnus came back, breathless, his hair disheveled and his pirate make-up slightly erased.

"Prepare your hands Alec," he firmly told him.

Alec prepared his arms that he pressed against him and Magnus put his candies in very quickly followed by Chaph who didn't seem to wonder how him and Magnus would share later. Soon there were no more candies on the floor where the sad remains of what had been an awesome piñata were. Each of them was able to pick up a little bag in which they slipped their candies, Magnus and Chaph emptied their full pockets and took what were in Alec's arms and hands to fill theirs.

Alec was still holding half of Magnus' share in his arms, waiting for him to pick them up, but he didn't seem willing to do so.

''This is for you,'' Magnus said while filling a bag for him. ''I took them for you because you were too scared of getting them.''

''I wasn't scared,'' Alec immediately retorted.

Magnus smiled and they all had to sit down to eat.

Placing twenty overexcited children was not a small matter, not to mention that they didn't all know how to read or didn't even bother to read the name tags and such to sit. Alec fooled around by walking around the huge table to read all the names followed by Magnus who said whether or not he knew the child.

He didn't know a lot of name.

A firm grip grabbed Alec's shoulder which immediately made him raise his head to see Mr. Bane.

''Over there you two.''

And he led them to the other end of the table where Magnus had to sit in the place of honor.

''And Alec?" he asked with worry while sitting down and touching the tag with his name.

"He's right next to you," his father reassured him by showing him the sit next to his where Alec sat down after recognizing his name.

Magnus looked relieved before looking with worry around him where everyone sat loudly.

"Give me your bags I'll put them in a safe place," said Mr. Bane, reaching out for Alec and Magnus' candies bags.

''Don't eat them,'' warned him Magnus with narrowed eyes.

''Don't give them to your fishes,'' Alec insisted. ''I have a little sister to feed at home.''

Mr. Bane snorted and took the candies bags to put them in a safe place under the eyes of the two boys who were wondering if they had been right to trust him.

Once all settled -and after the adults had struggled to make all of them sit down- Alec stared at the blonde girl, older than him, seated in front of him that Magnus didn't know either, he looked away to spot Chaph who was at the other end of the table.

Everyone they knew was sitting away far away from them.

The light suddenly died out and Alec's eyes were instantly attracted by the windows that revealed a starry night. He didn't pay attention to the tea-trolley on which stood a magnificent tiered cake, decorated with a magnificent 7 surrounded by several candles that Alec tried to count but the cake was moving too much.

Magnus' eyes stared at his cake, his mouth slightly opened. He was apparently eager to eat it.

He had to stand up on his chair to blow the seven candles on top of the cake and had to make a wish, which he did with his eyes closed, while Mrs. Bane -despite the presence of the photographer who was shooting up everyone- had taken her own camera in order to not to miss anything about Magnus.

When the light got turned on, Alec could see that her eyes were wet and that she was sniffing. Her husband moved discreetly towards her and handed her a pink handkerchief with blue penguins printed on it that she took to wipe her eyes. Then Mr. Bane took over for the pictures under the disapproving gaze of the photographer hired for the event.

Magnus looked happiest when he took a bite of the magnificent chocolate cake with a white frosting, Alec had to admit that he had never eaten anything so good and immediately thought about what Izzy was missing. He thanked the girl in front of him who poured for him and Magnus a glass of lemonade, but she didn't speak to them.

Alec watched Magnus stuffing himself with a little smile and asked for another piece of cake just to give it to him. It was his third part and Magnus was ready to ask for a fourth but Mrs. Bane, who was watching him, didn't allow him. To console him, Alec gave him his lemonade glass, but mainly because he was afraid he would choke.

''Look at me my little pumpkins,'' cooed Mrs. Bane and they lifted their head when they heard her.

Alec blinked, which made Magnus' mom sigh and she had to take several pictures of them once again. Then she forced them to mingle with the other children in order to take pictures. Alec refused, he didn't want to be all the time on the pictures.

Mrs. Bane looked at him disapprovingly. "You don't want to please me?"

''No,'' Alec simply said, looking at her straight in the eye.

He was tired of pictures and Magnus looked at him slightly amazed that he had dared to say no to his mother.

Mrs. Bane frowned. ''Magnus really wants to be with you on the picture, right Magnus?''

His friend nodded.

Alec's frown deepened. ''There won't be only one picture, I already know,'' he stubbornly protested.

And he was doing great at the table, he didn't want to get up and pretend to have fun with all the other kids.

"Just one picture," Mrs. Bane insisted while taking Alec's hand in hers. ''I promise, everyone will be on it. ''

Alec stared at her, then at Magnus who smiled as he really wanted him to sit beside him for the said picture with everyone.

''Okay,'' he grumpily mumbled.

Mrs. Bane brightly smiled and wiped his mouth before reassuring him about his lizard makeup.

"I'm a dragon tamer," Alec protested with narrowed eyes.

''Oh sorry sweetheart.''

Magnus came down from his chair when he saw that it was his turn but his mother was faster and wiped the pirate's beard that he had while erasing the traces of chocolate around his mouth.

''Mom,'' he scowled away. ''I'm clean.''

"Upsy-daisy, go with the others and don't forget to smile," she ordered with authority.

Alec and Magnus stood up reluctantly, closely watched by Mr. Bane, who made sure that they went towards the photographer who was wearily looking at his watch.

"I'm sick of that," Alec whispered, sitting down on the soft green carpet, and looked at his mismatched socks with an intense concentration.

Magnus fell upon him after being shoved by another child, pushed by another one who wanted his place. Magnus glared at him and settled sullenly but comfortably on his behind while Alec watched the others sat loudly around them.

Technically, Alec and Magnus were not in the center, which reassured a lot Alec who hoped to not be too visible in the picture. Magnus had told him about his plan: to lower his head at the right moment.

Alec brightly smiled at him, it was a good plan. ''When will you open your gifts?''

Magnus shrugged. ''I don't know, maybe after. I can't wait for it to end.''

Alec stared at him and watched Mrs. Bane and some adults place the last reluctant children on the carpet and then pressed them together so that they could fit onto the picture.

''Magnus, you could have sit in the center,'' she whispered. "It's too late now," she added when he looked behind him.

He lowered his head and looked at his hands before keeping his eyes fixed on Alec's socks.

"Do you think that we can hide under the bed again?" Alec asked in a dull voice when the photographer asked them all to look in his direction and smile.

Mr. Bane stood beside him and held up his camera, attracting the annoyed look of the professional who was here for that.

Magnus nodded, eyes still focused on their socks and they hid their face. Mrs. Bane had lied, there wasn't only one picture taken but Alec didn't blame her. Once all released from this picture of Magnus's seventh birthday, Alec and him unfortunately couldn't go and hide immediately. Magnus had to open his gifts, all his gifts and in front of everyone.

It would be long.

And it was, all the children had to get their gifts back in order to properly give them to Magnus. In front of the stack of gifts on a table and on the chairs in the kitchen, Alec idly stood trying unsuccessfully to remember what his present looked like.

"It's big," he told Chaph's older sister who laughed.

''There's a lot of big presents,'' she said amusedly. "Wait for everyone to take his," she advised him while giving to a child or even to the parents who were here the presents for Magnus.

Alec watched her hand out the gifts, she made him think of Santa Claus. Once all the gifts were given out, there was only one left which Alec still didn't recognize.

"There's your name on it," Chaph's sister noticed. ''Look.''

He recognized the handwriting of his mother and took the gift which was quite heavy.

''Thank you, you're very nice,'' he seriously said.

''And you very cute, hurry up to join the others, otherwise Mrs. Bane will not be happy.''

When Alec joined the others, Magnus had already begun to open his gifts given all the toys already on the large table that had been cleared. Alec looked for the cake that had literally vanished.

Magnus was machine-gunned with pictures and had trouble to unpack his gifts sometimes too big or too heavy. He looked happy but he clearly forced himself, if not how to explain that the expression on his face became more sincere or more genuine whenever he opened a gift that he really liked?

They could clearly see through his gifts who really knew him. And everyone who knew Magnus knew that he loved everything related to pirates and construction. But Alec knew that the remote-controlled helicopter, the drone and the tablet he had received would also please him.

Magnus was forced to hug James in his arms to thank him for the pirate gun he had offered him and everyone was aware that their hug was reluctant. They weren't very fond of each other. Summer kissed him on the cheek, which made Mrs. Bane squeal, and she immediately asked the photographer and her husband if they had immortalized this amazing moment, at least the one where Magnus wiped his cheek was immortalized.

Given the face that the adults made around them when Magnus opened a white envelope, Alec assumed that Magnus was rich with all the money he had received in similar envelopes that Mr. Bane took and gathered in his hand.

Magnus had been spoiled like a little prince and every child enviously looked at his gifts, including Alec, who couldn't help being worried. He still hadn't offered his present and didn't even know what was inside. Maybe Magnus wouldn't even like it at all.

And then it was his turn, Mrs. Bane pulled him by the arm so that he came closer to Magnus to offer him his gift and for the picture. Alec looked at her with a frown and smiled at Magnus as soon as he handed him the gift.

Magnus took the package with a big smile that made his dimples stand out. "You said that it'd be a surprise."

''It's a surprise,'' Alec said when seeing him ripped the shiny and colorful wrapping paper.

Magnus' eyes widened as soon as he saw the box with a boat on it, a real boat that looked like a pirate ship that he had to build and put in an extremely well-protected glass bottle -hence the weight of the box-.

"It's a great gift," murmured Mr. Bane, who had came closer. ''We'll build it together,'' he added, looking at Magnus, who was staring at his gift in a very pleased way.

He really seemed to like it and Alec felt his heart swelling with joy. He had to thank his mom and would give her some candy when he would go back home. Magnus squeezed him tightly in his arms to thank him and they could clearly hear Mrs. Bane ask her husband and the photographer if they had taken a picture of them.

"Yes," sighed the two men in an annoyed tone and with an eyeroll.

 

Alec would have liked to look for his sock in the fountain but he had to stay by Magnus side, while the latter was saying goodbye to everyone.

''It hurts to smile, '' Magnus complained with a frown while looking up at his mother.

''You'll get used to it,'' she said before stroking his hair and before brightly smiling to the mother of one of the children who came to pick up her toddler.

Alec threw a quick glance outside. It was dark and cold but thanks to the headlights of the cars it was possible to see that it was snowing a little. Magnus rubbed his cheeks, erasing the last traces of his pirate makeup, and winced.

Alec didn't want to smile so he didn't smile. He then met Mrs. Bane's eye who sighed when she saw his serious face.

''Alright,'' she sighed again. ''Go and play my little pumpkins.''

Magnus let out a relieved sigh and Alec's face split into a wide smile. She pinched their cheeks affectionately and they scrambled towards the gifts opened on the table. Magnus, intensely focused, looked at his gifts with narrowed eyes.

''What are you doing?'' Alec asked.

''I'm thinking.''

''About what?''

''What gifts I take first to bring them into my room.''

Alec then noticed that there were gifts that hadn't been opened at all.

"And that?" he asked.

Magnus shrugged. ''I don't know, they're not here those who brought them.''

They had been sent by his parents' friends, Magnus didn't open them, he had enough gifts and even too much. He entrusted Alec with the gifts he loved the most -including his own which made him extremely happy- and with his arms full, went to his room to put everything away.

Alec climbed the stairs very slowly, he couldn't see anything with all these boxes and stumbled several times. They arrived safe and sound in Magnus' spacious room, that his friend opened with difficulty, and then laid all of them on the gray bed.

"What's that?" asked Magnus while pointing a submarine out of legos on a box.

''A submarine,'' explained Alec before finishing putting all the presents correctly on the bed.

''Submarine,'' Magnus murmured while opening the box.

Alec gave him a surprised look. "You don't want to go get the rest?"

"No," replied Magnus while sitting down on the floor. "You can sit," he said before patting the floor next to him.

Alec sat down after noticing that Magnus had put on the bracelet that Izzy had offered him.

''Where are you going to put them?'' he asked after crossing his legs while Magnus opened the plastic bags closing the legos that he noisily dropped on the floor.

''Under my bed, in my toy box and where I can put them. ''

Alec nodded and they began to work.

Their submarine was slightly crooked and didn't really looked like the model on the instruction paper but they were proud of it.

"What if we put him in the water with Mary Curry and the other fishes?" Alec suggested.

Magnus looked up. ''My dad won't like it.''

''But the fishes will, they could play with it.''

"They must be bored," Magnus admitted while standing up. ''And our submarine looks amazing, '' he added, thinking that it would be stupid to not share their masterpiece.

But unfortunately for them, all the bathrooms were empty, the koi carps had disappeared. The two boys looked with a frown at the empty bathtub and stared at each other.

"Where are they?" Alec asked.

Magnus' frown deepened and he grabbed his friend by the arm before pulling him in the corridor. They went downstairs and Alec's eyes widened, everything was now magically like before. The green carpet had disappeared, the huge table where they had all been able to eat, the booths, the games and the fountain was filled with water, where the fishes were swimming again.

Disappointed, Alec looked at them for a long time. He would have liked to see Mr. Bane put them in. Besides, he would never see his lost sock ever again. With a wide grin, Magnus dropped his submarine which sank, all the carps swam away from the foreign object except Marie Antoinette whom Magnus found extremely brave.

"It'll be her toy then," Magnus said with satisfaction.

Alec smiled before remembering that Mr. Bane wouldn't be very happy and then he shrugged. Marie-Antoinette looked quite happy to have a submarine, her happiness mattered more than his after all. Magnus frowned and looked up, Alec looked straight at the kitchen. Magnus' parents were quarreling. Their eye met and Magnus crouched abruptly before going around the fountain to be hidden.

"You want to hide?" Alec whispered while imitating him.

Curled up against each other, they exchanged a worried look when the voice of Mr. and Mrs. Bane came closer. But they didn't go near them and went to the living room.

"He didn't like it, he pretended to smile!" Mr. Bane loudly said.

''What are you talking about? Of course he loved it, it was his birthday party!''

Alec glanced at Magnus who was looking at his hands clamping his knees, his eyes focused on the floor and his eyebrows slightly frowned.

Mr. Bane huffed. ''So why was he hidden upstairs? I don't even know how long he was hidden under our bed, when I went downstairs I immediately noticed that he wasn't with the others and you foolishly continued looking for him thinking that he was having fun somewhere... He was having fun but with Alec who was him in his hiding place and fortunately he was here."

Alec slightly straightened up and rested his chin on the bronze rim of the fountain. He couldn't see them arguing, maybe that was what made their dispute a little more intimidating.

Dealing with his wife's silence, Mr. Bane continued speaking in the same tone.

''He would have been perfectly happy with just the three of us and with a few friends from his class, why did you have to invite the whole town?''

''The whole town...,'' grumbled Magnus' mother coldly.

"You know perfectly well that Magnus is uncomfortable with people he doesn't know."

Alec nodded, himself knew. He lowered his eyes when a carp swam right under his nose and followed her with his eyes.

''I wanted him to have fun and to make new friends and...''

''It was too much,'' Mr. Bane dryly said. "He's only seven. And look at all these gifts! Even him, he couldn't open them all! There're too many and he doesn't need so many things! He already has everything he wants, I think we spoil him more than we should but here it's..."

''Leonard,'' she hissed, and she reminded to Alec his mom when she was angry. "I just wanted to give our son what he never could have before. Yes I invited a lot of people, I thought he would be happy and that he would like to make a lot of friends. I was wrong, I recognize that but for the gifts I couldn't do anything about it. People bring presents for a birthday, there's a lot yes but it doesn't matter. The money will be put in a bank account for him and the gifts he doesn't need we'll give them away! ''

''Demie...''

"I can't believe you're reproaching me to give him too much,'' she murmured as she was about to cry. ''He had nothing there, your remember what they said? They've found him in the street and in such a state... God knows what he had to go through...,'' she sobbed. "I've always wanted to be a mother, but that doesn't mean I'll be perfect, there's no book for that... it's better to be spoiled than the opposite, right?"

Alec touched the surface of the water with his finger.

"There's a middle ground too," Mr. Bane softly said. ''Magnus would have been perfectly happy with a simple birthday,'' he repeated. ''You've just gone too far for his first birthday here and it could have waited a few years...wait to see him as a teenager,'' he snorted.

Magnus hadn't moved an inch and was still curled up on himself, his hands on his knees and the same uneasy look. Alec sat next to him in the same position.

''My mom and my dad argue too,'' he whispered.

Magnus glanced up at him and had the same look as Izzy when she wanted a comforting hug, so Alec hugged him and patted his back.

''There, there,'' he said. ''It won't last, don't worry.''

Magnus was still looking at him. ''You love to hug a lot,'' he noticed while leaning against him.

"Not you?" Alec asked before letting him go.

Magnus had a pensive pout. "I liked the one we did with Izzy in the park even though she was crying a lot."

"She cries all the time and a lot and she always wants hugs," Alec mumbled with disapproval.

Magnus slightly smiled, still staring at him. ''I'd like to have a little sister.''

Alec had to admit that it was great to have a little sister he could play with, even if she could be noisy and annoying, he was glad to have one.

''Fishes are better,'' he said.

Magnus glanced at him not very convinced and they both jumped when Mr. Bane called them with a loud voice.

''Magnus, Alec, it's time to eat!''

The sound of his slippers came neared, Magnus and Alec curled up with a big smile ready to jump on him to frighten him but Mr. Bane noticed them very quickly and as soon as he walked around the fountain.

''You're here,'' he said. "How long have you been hiding here?"

Alec hoped he wouldn't notice the submarine in the fountain and take away Marie-Antoinette's toy.

"Not long," Magnus said while getting up.

Alec imitated him and was relieved that Mrs. Bane came to them to distract her husband's attention from the fountain.

''Go and wash your hands.''

She looked exhausted and she no longer had her usual bun on her head. Her brown hair hung down on her shoulders and she was still barefoot.

''If you hurry you can watch a cartoon after,'' she said while gently pushing them towards the kitchen.

They washed their hands at the same time, on tiptoes, and as soon as Mrs. Bane disappeared to set the table near the fountain, Magnus sprinkled Alec with a huge grin. It was only droplets but Alec was blinded for a few moments and closed his eyes, trying himself to sprinkle Magnus blindly.

Mrs. Bane abruptly shut the faucet and stayed with them when they wiped their hands to avoid any other stupidity.

''I'm so happy to have you,'' she suddenly and softly murmured to Magnus while stroking his hair and squeezing him lightly against her.

This sentence as unexpected as surprising made Alec stare at them. Mrs. Bane's eyes were brighter and she looked at Magnus in such a way that it made Alec look away. Magnus stared up at her head with a frown but he hugged her back. After glancing at them, Alec went to the fountain to check if Marie-Antoinette was still having fun.

Magnus too looked happy to have her, even if his birthday had been too intense.

After dinner and comfortably curled up among several cushions on the couch, Alec wondered if his parents had forgotten him. Magnus had gone back to his room to get his drone and Mr. Bane was filling the photo album with the pictures he had just printed.

Alec could hear him laugh from time to time.

''Alec,'' Mrs. Bane said while sitting next to him with concern. ''Did you take your bag with you? You know with your clothes to sleep.''

She just had showered and was in nightgown and dressing gown. She smelled good and reminded him a lot of his mom when she also went out from the bathroom. Mrs. Bane was a lot like his mom even if they were really different. Alec didn't know that he was supposed to sleep here, nobody had told him. He tried to remember if his dad had said something but he couldn't. He sighed, he couldn't make him remember everything, he was just five.

''It doesn't matter, we've already lent you a sock we can lend you the rest,'' she said in a light tone

And Mr. Bane chuckled by himself.

It was quite late, Alec and Magnus' eyes closed, they were ready to go to bed. Alec was wearing one of Magnus' superheroes pajamas and felt happy for no reason. Mrs. Bane, who was falling asleep as well, put them into bed and tucked them in.

Magnus' bed was big enough for two but he didn't seem that happy to have to share his own bed. He perfectly remembered the number of times Alec had pushed him when they had slept together and the fact that he was taking all the place.

Alec tried to make himself small, making Magnus sigh, pull up the blanket to Alec's chin, then he patted his chest and lay down after making sure that his friend was comfortably settled in the bed which was much larger, and also more comfortable. Alec wiggled a little to test the softness of the bed and smiled with satisfaction under Magnus' skeptical glance and Mrs. Bane, who was waiting for them to be comfortably settled for the night, softened.

He looked at the colorful dream-catcher hanging over the bed and wondered what it was before yawning, which made Magnus yawn as well.

''Good night my little pumpkins, sweet dreams and don't you dare to get up to play, I'll know,'' she whispered before turning off the light and closing the door.

They were now in the dark. Alec blinked, turned his head lightly and Magnus moved closer.

''What's the thing above the bed?'' he murmured.

Magnus came too close and bumped their foreheads together. They squealed and immediately rubbed the painful area.

''It's for my nightmares but it doesn't work, I think mom bought it just because it was pretty.''

Alec immediately thought about the faceless woman and shivered, frightened. ''Don't worry, you won't have any, I'm here,'' he said, secretly hoping that he wouldn't either.

Magnus narrowed his eyes and nuzzled closer than he already was, sticking his hair against his cheek. Alec blew on it when he felt some tickle his nose.

''Don't push me,'' Magnus warned him.

''I won't,'' Alec weakly protested before yawning again.

During the night, Alec woke up several times and checked that Magnus was sleeping well and didn't have any nightmare. But he was doing fine and had even taken all the blankets in which he had rolled up and Alec, who was cold, stuck his body against his.

Maybe he was more efficient that the dream-catcher but the fact was that he wanted to protect Magnus from his bad dreams, and in particular, from this faceless woman who was also frightening him. He closed his eyes, pulled a little on the blanket and went back to sleep.

*

The next morning, his mother picked him up. She immediately noticed his mismatched socks and that he didn't have a bag. Alec heard her distinctly grumble  _'Robert'_. He had had a good time with Magnus and his drone, which they had accidentally made fall into the fountain. Fortunately, for them Mr. Bane wasn't very far and had been able to quickly save the toy, but he had also noticed the submarine at the bottom of the fountain and had then scolding them for disrupting the koi carps environment, even though Marie-Antoinette seemed to like this change.

While he was asking his mom where she had bought the gift for Magnus, Alec who had picked up his bag of candy, slipped a few of them into his pockets, perfectly knowing that as soon as he would get home they would be carefully put away and out of his reach.

Mrs. Bane had seen him but said nothing, she just hugged him to say goodbye and told him to come back whenever he wanted whereas Magnus who would have liked him to stay longer looked at him with a pout. Mr. Bane narrowed his eyes and Alec held his gaze, it was always when he came over that the fountain had foreign objects at its bottom.

He innocently smiled at him and waved his hand before following his mom outside. The snow had melted, he wanted to jump into the puddles but Maryse prevented him to do so and hastened to lock him up very quickly inside the car.

When they got home, Izzy was playing with a doll's tea set and made all Alec's dinosaurs drink a magic tea to boost their strength. Alec hastened to join her and sat down beside her.

''Drink,'' she firmly said.

Alec took the yellow cup she handed to him and carried it to his lips while staring at her two little pigtails, which looked lame compared to the long hair she had before.

"Did you have a good time?" she seriously asked as would have asked their mother while mixing an invisible beverage.

Alec told her everything, talked about the carps, the fountain, the piñata, the big cake and suddenly remembered that he had sweets for her in his pocket. Izzy's eyes widened and a very satisfied  _'oh'_  came out of her mouth, she held out her hands to get some, then put them carefully in her pocket with a greatly satisfied smile.

*

His father was angry and Alec didn't really know why. He hadn't done anything and Izzy either, they were just playing together and his little sister had just suggested 'to make a circle' named Valentine. Alec hadn't really understand why this circle would have a name but he had wanted to play, except that Robert who was preparing Alec's school bag had heard them and had suddenly gotten mad.

His parents had argued but he hadn't understood everything, Izzy had cried too loudly beside him so he couldn't have heard anything.

He was relieved when his father dropped him off at school and refused to kiss him by rushing inside. Robert stared at him, displeased but walked away as if it didn't matter. As soon as he was inside, Magnus rushed to him, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the small group that had formed around Theo. He had broken his arm and everybody wanted to draw on his cast.

Alec hadn't had the time to draw a dragon, Mrs. Bean ordered them all to sit down.

Not so long ago, they had to make an apron for their mother, now they had to write a poem for their father. Alec grunted, he didn't want to make one, especially after what had happened that same morning. Magnus looked excited even if he didn't know what was a poem. He just seemed to like the word.

Summer immediately raised her hand. ''I have two mommies!''

Mrs. Bean stared at her. ''To whom did you give the apron you made?'' she asked.

''My mommy,'' she answered as if it was obvious.

''Then, give this poem to your other mommy.''

Alec grumpily took a piece of paper and a black pencil before sitting next to Magnus who was drawing fishes here and there on his paper.

''I'll talk about his carps,'' he declared.

Alec didn't know what to write and lengthily looked at his sheet while everyone was seriously writing the first words. He wasn't inspired and met the look of Ms. Wood who crouched beside him.

''You can already write  _Dear Daddy_ ,'' she said before putting a pencil in his hand.

 

With a scowl, he did while staring at what Magnus was doing but he only wrote  _dear dad_  as it was shorter and better. Even if he was still mad at him for what had happened this morning, Alec still loved him but less than the day before. He glanced at Magnus' poem where he had drawn all the carps and slightly smiled whereas Mrs. Bean remained beside him ready to correct his spelling mistakes, which promised to be numerous, and to help him to find his words which he still had difficulty to find and to write sometimes.

Once they had finished, the children read their poem aloud, creating a cacophony that made Mrs. Bean frown. 

''Quiet please, it's a poem not a song.''

Ms. Wood laughed when she read Magnus' poem, which was more a story than a poem.

"You have a lot of imagination," she said, referring to the names of the fishes he had been trying to write.

Magnus frowned. ''Marie-Antoinette is real, she's at home swimming.''

Alec nodded before giving his poem to Ms. Toccarro.

Dear Dad,

Mom loves you, Izzy loves you, Church loves you,

For all the thing you do,

Like losing weight even if you don't run very fast,

Making money to feed the family,

Playing with me even if you're not really good at it,

Even if you can be angry and scary, you can be nice.

And even if I have to remind you things all the time,

Because you're too busy to remember,

You're still my dad.

 ~~Alexander~~  ALEC

 

''And you, you don't like your dad ?'' she softly asked.

Alec blinked. He had forgotten himself. He added an  _'And I love you too'_  askew and beside  _Church_ while frowning and sticking his tongue out, then he looked at his work with a satisfied smile before looking again at Magnus' work.

Surprisingly, it was James, who was usually mean with everyone, who wrote the most beautiful poem. He suspiciously looked at Mrs. Bean when she praised him in front of everyone. He wasn't used to it and looked incredibly embarrassed.

 

Alec waited for his father to return from work to give him his poem and almost forgot it in his school bag. His dad was no longer angry and ruffled his hair before shutting himself up in his study where Alec hesitated to follow him.

''Don't you have something for him?'' reminded him his mom when she went into the kitchen.

Alec got up and Izzy stole his cushion, more comfortable than hers, on which she quickly sat down to make it hers. He huffed and got his poem back before standing in front of the door of his father's study, the sheet crumpled in his hands. He shyly knocked as usually neither he nor Izzy had the right to go in.

He pushed the handle and stepped forwards without really daring to go further.

Robert's desk was spacious, slightly dark despite the lamp on the large desk and the light emanating from the ceiling. The shelves were filled with books and files, and the room reminded him of Hodge's house.

His dad looked up from his computer and stared at him. Alec immediately noticed Church, comfortably settled on the printer, not far from a cactus.

"You're working?" he shyly asked before walking towards him. ''It's for you.''

He proudly gave his poem to his father who looked surprised and pleased before making his chair roll towards him, and he grabbed the paper that he held out with a small smile.

Robert read the poem which didn't rhyme, wrote with an irregular writing and tilted his head to read the  _'I love you too'_ that Alec had clearly forgotten to write. His grin widened on his tired face.

''Thank you,'' he said before kissing him.

Alec winced when he felt his cheek prickle but he didn't push him away. His father then carefully put the poem in a sheet protector that he put in the bag he took every day to go to work.

''They make you work hard at school,'' he sighed with amusement.

Alec frowned. "It was hard, I didn't know what to say."

"I don't run very fast to lose weight, I'm not good at playing with you, I forget a lot of things, I get annoyed often," he repeated while looking at him. ''I'm very happy that you still love me no matter what.''

''You're welcome,'' Alec seriously said while watching with curiosity what was on his desk.

Exceptionally he was allowed to stay in his father's study and was even able to take a thick book that he couldn't understand and which looked a lot like what Hodge had in his home. He didn't notice the way his father looked at him and knew even less that he also wanted to tell him that he loved him but that he was too embarrassed to tell him.

Robert cleared his throat and ruffled his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the mistakes as always !  
> Next chapter, Mulan aka Izzy will take revenge on Alec for her hair, nanny Hodge will have to care of them and cute Malec moments of course :)
> 
> What did your parents tell you when you asked how babies were made when you were too little to know the truth?  
> (It might be very helpful for Alec in next chapter)
> 
> I'll update chap 5 in March 6th :)


	5. Dragon tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologized for the mistakes as always ! :)

Church hissed at Izzy when she slightly pushed him in order to sit between him and Alec on the windowsill to watch the rain. Alec anxiously looked at him, fearing that he would suddenly attack them but Izzy hastened to pet the angry cat while pulling out some of his fur. Church narrowed his eyes and Alec grabbed his sister's hand.

''He doesn't like being pet.''

Izzy frowned and the grumpy cat suddenly jumped on the floor, looking grumpier than ever.

''You made him leave,'' she scowled.

Alec stared at her before heaving a sigh and looked again at the rain with a frown. He didn't understand why it was raining and not snowing when it was so cold outside. Izzy stuck her nose against the cold surface and had fun by making steam on the window before drawing a cat that looked like a monster.

''Don't dirty the window,'' warned them their mom.

Izzy hastened to clean what she had just done and Alec grumpily looked behind him to see that she still wasn't ready to do some grocery shopping.

''Mom,'' he reminded her when he saw that she was going in the kitchen.

Maryse quickly took the grocery list stuck against the fridge on a pink little paper, grabbed her purse and came nearer with a frown while mumbling something. Izzy and he were already warmly dressed to go outside and both of them stared at her. She was so lost in thought that she almost stepped on Church who hastened to hide under the couch before waiting for them to leave with his narrowed amber eyes.

''Come here,'' she said while taking out from her bag Izzy's tiara, with a raised eyebrow.

Alec and Izzy meekly obeyed perfectly knowing that if they didn't behave they wouldn't have any treat in the grocery store like some candies, chocolate or even toys. It didn't happen often but each time they hoped that it would.

Once, outside in the cold and rainy weather, Alec took Izzy's hand to make her walk faster and pushed her inside the car, before sitting next to her while their mom was mumbling ' _broccoli, milk, juice'._ She fastened their seatbelts and Izzy grabbed a lock of her hair that she lengthily stared at with envy.

''When my hair will grow back?''

''Soon,'' Maryse sighed before making sure that Alec was comfortably settled.

''When is it soon?'' she scowled.

''Soon,'' Alec said while their mother was taking back her hair from her hand tightly closed around.

Now that she didn't have to wear her splint anymore something was still wrong and it made their mother heave a deep sigh. She then sat in the driver sit and started the car with the wipers before pulling out of the driveway.

''Izzy count the red cars,'' she asked. ''And don't help her Alec.''

While Alec was silently counting in his head the white cars, Izzy decided to play another game: the random story game.

''Alright, Bunny was living in a small little house,'' began their mom while glancing at them through the rearview mirror.

Izzy straightened up in her seat, looking pretty excited to use her imagination. ''She was a witch!''

There were many white cars and Alec wondered with confusion if he hadn't mixed the gray ones with the white.

''Alec ?''

''She has a dragon named Dragon.''

''And was happily living in her village until...''

''She has to do grocery shopping,'' Alec mumbled which earned him a glare from his sister.

''It's my turn! It's not because of grocery shopping but because she had to use her powers!'' she protested.

''Don't fight,'' Maryse sighed. ''So Bunny was happily living in her village until she had to use her powers, Alec?’’

''She uses her powers because someone wanted to steal Dragon.''

Izzy scowled, she clearly had wanted Bunny to use her powers to protect the village or someone like in the book. But this time it was a different story and she seemed to like it, she was no longer playing in order to listen to the random story Maryse and Alec were telling.

''What about the Prince?'' she finally asked, desperately waiting for him to appear.

''She had a dragon and powers,'' Alec retorted as if it was enough.

''She has to have a Prince, mom make her meet a Prince.''

''She doesn't need one!'' Alec firmly protested.

To not hear them argue and to not play any longer this random story game, Maryse slightly turned up the volume of the radio, but Izzy had noticed.

''You're so mean,'' she whined.

And Alec began to count again the white cars.

 

As Izzy was younger, she could sit in the cart whereas Alec couldn't. It depended of the groceries their mom had to buy, if there wasn't a lot he could also sit otherwise not. He didn't really mind even if he also wanted to be in when their mother would suddenly speed up to make Izzy smile. He looked up, Maryse was looking for her list that she apparently had lost somewhere. She looked behind them with a frown while very slowly pushing the cart.

''Broccoli, milk, juice,'' reminded her Alec who wanted her to walk faster.

She smiled and grabbed his hand to make him hold the cart that Alec didn't do for a long time as Izzy had fun by moving her feet which hit his hand. She did it on purpose and looked rather satisfied when he let go. Their mother hadn't seen anything and went toward the vegetables. Alec followed her while looking around and naturally -and almost with talent- lost his way.

When he noticed that he had lost his mom and his sister, he tried to spot them among all these people but there was no tall woman with dark long hair and high heels around him. Alec heaved a sigh, he didn't panic, he didn't have to and already knew that his mom would panic very soon and would look for him as soon as she noticed that he was missing. Therefore, he had the time to see the toy section before starting to look for them again.

There was a lot of people and he had to snake through the carts to reach his goal, which he did with relief until he noted that there was nothing interesting here. There were dolls, pretty dolls but not as pretty as Izzy's ones, some figurines, a lot of buckets with shovels, cuddly toys and other things without any interest for him. Disappointed, he kept on going, looking up at the huge shelves and bumped into a huge cage full of soccer balls that he lengthily stared at.

Then, he went in the vegetables section and tried to spot his mom as she wanted to buy broccoli but didn't find her. He looked with curiosity at all these colorful vegetables and fruits under his nose and glanced up when he saw an old woman staring at him. She seemed a bit crazy with her googly eyes and he walked away, slightly scared by the way she was staring at him. 

He went around the display but the old woman was still staring at him and was now even smiling with the same crazy and scary look. She moved closer as if she wanted to speak to him but Alec didn't move, even if he knew that he didn't have the right to speak to strangers. The granny was now beside him and slightly bent down to speak to him.

''How the church's cat?''

Alec blinked. ''Church ?''

He wondered how she knew about him, without recognizing her as the one who had kind of introduce the cat to his family.

''You were with your mom and your little sister the other day in the street, near the Church, you don't remember?''

He didn't remember her, not at all.

''Maybe,'' he said with a frown, not knowing if he should or not speak to her.

''How's he doing?''

''He's fine, he eats a lot at home.''

The granny smiled. ''So, you called him Church ?''

''Izzy did, he's like her cat, she always pets him even if he doesn't like it.''

''He's always been in the street this poor cat, that's why he's a little wild but be careful we never know with cats, they think that we're stupid creatures.''

He had to tell his sister that Church probably thought that she was stupid. The granny's smile widened and she didn't seem as scary as before. She asked for his name and wanted to know why he was by himself. Alec was going to answer but he got suddenly grabbed by the arm and the next thing that he saw was the angry face of his mom who looked scarier that anything with her long dark hair and narrowed eyes. He winced and scowled.

''Alec!'' she hissed before taking him away, still holding him by the arm.

He was then pulled toward the empty cart where Izzy was waiting.

''I was looking for you everywhere!'' she said before carrying him in her arms as he didn't walk fast enough. ''I can't believe you did that...and didn't I tell you to not speak to strangers?'' she angrily said while putting him inside the cart as if he was a box of cookies.

Alec looked down, not really happy to be yelled at, but his mother make him raise his head with two fingers under his chin.

''It's dangerous outside Alec, something could have happened to you! Do you understand?''

He nodded but the damage had been done, Maryse was now pretty angry and in a very bad mood. Izzy who was strangely twisted in order to look behind her and at him, opened her mouth to say something but Alec didn't let her speak.

''Church thinks you're stupid.''

Her eyes widened and she immediately glanced at their mother to see if she had heard but no, Maryse was too busy to check something in the households-goods section.

''Mom, Alec said I was stupid!'' she whined.

''Alec don't say that to your sister,'' Maryse scolded him absently while putting some stuff next to him.

He shifted to clear some place and Izzy glared at him. ''The old lady said that Church thinks you're stupid, not me,'' he added but Izzy didn't seem to understand.

''I'm not stupid!''

''Stop it you two, no one is stupid,'' their mother firmly said. ''Alec don't speak to strangers,'' she repeated.

''She knows Church.''

''But you don't know her so you didn't have to talk with her!''

''She looked crazy but she was nice,'' he protested with a frown.

Maryse sighed. ''Don't trust people so easily, you too Izzy.''

Izzy nodded and grabbed a sponge to put it in the cart, she also had to do some grocery shopping and Alec decided to help her by taking what she handed to him. Their mom didn't notice anything at first and Alec wondered why she needed a list when she could remember all the things she had to buy. And there was a lot, he even had to get off from the cart and his mother kissed his forehead which made him frown, as she was tightly holding his hand to make sure that he wouldn't disappear again.

Izzy tried to be cute and innocent when she finally noticed the unnecessary things in the cart, like sponges, lollipops, detergent, lighters, pens, candles, a teacup and some makeup.

''Izzy.''

''I helped you.''

''We don't need these things.''

Izzy looked torn up when she grabbed what she judged unnecessary to put them randomly where they didn't belong. Alec frowned and opened the mouth to tell her that she couldn't put that here but she quickly grabbed his arm and strode toward the checkout counter.

''There's a lot of lollipops at home,'' Maryse said when she saw Izzy's pout. ''If you can't eat them it doesn't mean that there're no more but that you didn't behave to eat some, same for you Alec.''

He glanced up and met her gaze. He wouldn't have any for a while. He sighed resignedly and Izzy glared at him as if it was his fault before touching her hair.

''When will my hair grow back like before?'' she asked for the umpteenth time.

*

Alec could tell that something was off with his little sister. She liked to be like Mulan but she seemed to resent him for her hair, which he didn't really understand. Yet, it got better when their mother came back one day with shorter hair, like Mulan. Izzy became less annoying and stopped talking about it but still refused to play as much as before with him, which he didn't understand either.

He didn't really care as he had his dragon and that was all that mattered.

''Dad, carry me I need a horse,'' she asked while stretching out her arms to be carried.

Sitting on a cushion, Alec smiled when their father refused and Izzy narrowed her eyes when she saw his smile before sticking her tongue out. He frowned and stared at her with wide eyes, then she hastened to run away to play in their playroom, by herself.

He followed her with the eyes and slightly felt left out, he stared at his dragon and heaved a sigh. She could be really annoying but this time he knew that she was up to no good and he made sure to always have his dragon by his side, no matter what, just in case.

The day after, just before leaving for the kindergarten, he took the time to hide his dragon under his pillow while Izzy was still eating.

''What are you doing?'' asked Robert in the doorway.

''Nothing.''

''Hurry then, I have to go in court today.''

Alec made sure that his bed didn't look weird despite the unusual hump into it.

''You dragon won't be cold,'' sighed his dad before taking him by the shoulders.

He glanced one last time at his dragon's hideout with worry and followed him resignedly with a slight scowl. His mother kissed him in the kitchen and Izzy ignored him to pet Church who was trying to eat despite her strokes that pushed his head further into his bowl.

''Have a good day,'' Maryse said before kissing him again which made him roll his eyes.

Izzy finally stared at him just to see him leave but she wasn't devilishly smiling or anything like that, she just looked calm and innocent and that was exactly what worried Alec who felt bad about leaving his dragon behind.

His suspicious stare met her so innocent one and his dad closed the entrance door but he had enough time to see her lips curve into a devilish smile.

His dragon was in danger.

His father quickly dropped him off at school and Alec hastened to find Magnus, who was waiting for him like always, to tell him how weird Izzy was now and how scared he was about his dragon. Magnus attentively listened to him while trying to write another poem for his father who had loved the one he had written, especially the part about his carps.

''Izzy can't be so mean,'' he said with a slight frown.

Alec sighed in front of his innocence, which made Magnus' frown deepen.

''What?''

Alec patted his arm and asked him about what he did the day before. Magnus stared at him with a puzzled look before enthusiastically telling him that he had entirely made the impossible bottle with his dad.

''It's really like a tiny pirate ship trapped in a bottle! But I don't understand why it's called an impossible bottle because the ship is now inside,'' he added with narrowed eyes.

Alec shrugged, he didn't know either but he was glad that he still liked his birthday present.

''Next time I'll show you, it's really awesome and you can bring your dragon too, like that Izzy won't touch him!''

Alec smiled and moved closer to see what he was exactly drawing but he couldn't help being worried.

The day went by, making him forget his favorite toy until he got home. His father quickly left and Alec was welcomed by his mother who had baked cookies. She didn't let him worry about his dragon and hurried him to wash his hands before eating.

''Where's Izzy?'' he nonetheless asked.

''Playing with Church, she's already eaten,'' she answered while stroking his hair.

The cookies were delicious, he ate a lot -but not as much as Magnus would have- and greedily drank his glass of milk before licking his lips. After eating, he couldn't leave and play as now it was questions time. His mom wanted to know what he had done and learned at school.

Alec heaved a sigh and stared at her. ''Why do you always want to know everything?''

Maryse snorted. ''Because I'm curious and I'm your mom.''

''It wasn't interesting today, same for yesterday and the day before yesterday.''

His mother smiled and when she stood up while eating a cookie, Alec hastened to leave the table and ran toward his bedroom where he had hidden his dragon.

''You don't want more cookies?'' she shouted from the kitchen.

He shook his head and opened the door. He didn't notice that there was no more hump in his bed at first, and astonishingly stood still when he lifted his pillow. His dragon wasn't here anymore. He immediately jumped on his bed to check everywhere, even in the space between the wall and the bed, and even underneath.

He just wasn't here.

He let out a little whimper and his mother suddenly came in with a laundry basket under her arm.

''Mom did you see my dragon?''

She knelt, opened a drawer from the closet near the door and tidied up the clothes. ''He must be where you've put him last time.''

''He's not here,'' he breathed out before suddenly running toward the playroom.

''Don't run,'' he heard his mom said when he crossed the corridor to open the door just in front of his room.

Izzy squealed and glared at him for frightening her. She was sitting on the floor and was apparently trying to make some potion in her doll's tea set. Alec glanced at the bunch of fur in her hand, which looked a lot like Church's.

He could see some of his dinosaurs here and there on the carpet but not his dragon. They lengthily stared at each other.

''You took him!'' Alec firmly said with a frown while moving closer.

Izzy scowled and stared again at her teacup while mumbling something like a real witch.

''Where's my dragon?''

''It's not me,'' she finally said.

''You're lying!''

''No,'' she weakly protested.

''What's wrong?'' firmly asked their mother behind him.

Alec turned around and pointed an accusatory finger at his sister. ''Izzy's a liar!''

''What did you do Izzy?'' she sighed without coming in.

''I did nothing wrong, it's Alec!'' she protested again before glaring at him.

She had taken his dragon, he knew it, he just had to find where she had hidden him.

''If you don't stop you won't have any cookie tonight,'' Maryse said. ''If you had put away your dragon where he should have been Alec you wouldn't be looking for him,'' she added before closing the door.

Alec blankly stared at the spot where she had been and immediately stared at his little sister with narrowed eyes.

''Where's my dragon?'' he almost whined.

Izzy ignored him once again but his eyes were suddenly attracted by something under her doll stroller, near the wall. It looked a lot like a piece of something and this something looked a lot like his dragon, especially the wings. Alec picked up the piece of plastic that he lengthily looked at without seeing that Izzy was now staring at him with a face of panic before glancing anxiously at the toy box. She suddenly stood up to snatch the piece from his hands and Alec finally noticed her guilty look.

She had definitely done something to his dragon.

He tried to take back what she had taken from him but she was firmly holding it tightly in her fist and he had to snatch it violently after a little struggle which made her squeal in pain. Red and short of breath, Izzy scratched his hand to take it back, making him wince before pushing her.

His sister heavily fell down and Alec hastened to open the toy box while Izzy, who quickly got back up, was trying to pull him away from it. But it was too late, Alec had just seen his dragon's tail that he pulled out but only the tail came out. He blinked and blankly stared at the tail in his hand.

Izzy suddenly released him and stepped backwards perfectly knowing that she had done something very bad.

Alec's throat tightened, he dropped the green-bluish tail and plunged his arms into the box toys before pulling out all his sister's dolls from here. There was a big pair of scissors, glue and at the bottom the defeated body of his dragon.

The entire box stank with the glue smell and his fingers had even some on them, like on some of her dolls and his dinosaurs. He slowly took his dragon who no longer had his wings, his tail and whose one of his leg had been clumsily glued askew. At the bottom of the toy box were his wings that Izzy had cut into several pieces. His heart sank in his chest and he blankly stared at them while tightly holding his dragon -who wasn't really one anymore- against his chest.

''I didn't mean to,'' Izzy miserably said behind him with a little voice. ''I'm sorry.''

She was a big liar, was only what Alec could think, besides she had done it on purpose otherwise why his dragon would have been chopped like this? He turned around with clenched teeth and glared at her. He couldn't hit her, he wasn't allowed to do so, his parents had always told him that, so he pulled her hair very hard.

Izzy's wince changed into a mute scream, she sank her nails into his wrist before crying out, and she suddenly began to sob. Her tears became a torrent and her mouth half opened to let out her sobs made her look like a little hippopotamus. She suddenly kicked him in the stomach to make him release her and Alec fell on his behind, folded in half, his dragon on the floor.

They fought to make the other pay for the pain. Izzy yelped when he pulled again her hair as he couldn't hit her and they suddenly got separated from their wrestling match. Izzy sobbed harder and wiped her tears while Maryse's hand tightened around his arm.

''Alexander!'' she said with a harsh tone.

It was the first time that Alec was called by his full name and he couldn't look away from his mom's face who was staring at him in a way that frightened him. He suddenly felt bad, especially when Izzy freed herself from their mom's grip and wrapped her arms around her legs in order to be comforted. She was still crying and her sobs, which she muffled against her legs, were shaking her shoulders.

Now, both of Maryse's hands were on Izzy's back and she bent down to wipe her tears. Alec blankly stared at them, stiffened, and about to cry. His chin quivered, his nose began to sting and he picked up his dragon before running away to hide with his sorrow somewhere.

His steps led him into the bathroom where he took refuge behind the clothes hamper and he curled up into a ball against the wall while tightly squeezing his dragon in his arms. He blinked but couldn't prevent his tears to flow along his cheeks. He wiped them with his sticky hand but there were now too many. He didn't think about wiping them with his sleeve and only sniffled while staring at his poor dragon.

Alec was silently crying while seeing his damaged body that was breaking his heart.

There were some traces of scissors here and there, as if Izzy had tried to cut more but she hadn't been able to do so and had given up. He touched the marks on the legs, the neck, the back, the small sharp stumps, which slightly scratched his fingers, and the stump of his tail.

His dragon who was no longer a real dragon looked now like a big lizard that had had an accident. Alec blinked to swallow his tears and heavily sighed. Who was going to keep his puzzle box now? Who was going to command the dinosaurs’ army? Only a dragon was qualified and the one he was holding in his hands was no longer one and would be eaten alive.

He didn't really understand why Izzy had decided to get back at him, she had wanted to be like Mulan so he had helped her a little. He was pretty sure that she would get scolded for touching the big pair of scissors and it served her right, but he knew that he would also get scolded for pulling her hair, even if it wasn't really like he had hit her.

The leg that had been glued askew showed that Izzy had tried to fix it obviously but Alec seriously doubted that his dragon could be like before with some glue. He wanted him to be like before, without any cut or any marks but it was impossible, he knew it. His saddened pout worsened and tears flooded his cheeks. He hated Izzy.

When he saw that the door suddenly opened and that Church came in, closely followed by his mom and his sister, Alec immediately hid his face against his knees as he didn't want them to see that he had cried. He stiffened when he felt and heard the clothes hamper move, and frowned when his mom grabbed his arms to see his face.

''See,'' she said. ''You made your brother cry,'' she firmly said to Izzy while grabbing her by the wrist.

Izzy, who had apparently calmed down despite her red and damp face, began to sob again. ''I'm sooooorryyyy,'' she whined while clumsily wiping her tears and her running nose.

Maryse heaved a sigh, gently pushed Church who prevented her to open a drawer under the sink, and took a towel to wipe their face. Alec hastened to wipe his with his arms and against his knees before sniffling, rejecting the tender gesture of his mom who lengthily stared at him.

''Stop crying,'' she murmured to Izzy while Church moved closer to Alec with his narrowed orange eyes.

His whiskers and his fluffy fur tickled his hands but he didn't dare to touch him as he looked quite grumpy. Maryse stroked his head but was still staring at him while waiting for Izzy to calm down.

''Alec you shouldn't have pulled your sister's hair even if she deserved it.''

When she heard the  _'she deserved it'_  Izzy glanced at her with a sad pout.

''I didn't hit her,'' Alec weakly and hoarsely protested.

''No but it's still violence, it still hurt, and you didn't have to react like this for your dragon.''

Alec blinked and looked down at him. His nose began to sting again, she didn't seem to understand how much he loved his dragon. Izzy dropped the towel and suddenly moved closer to hug him and make peace.

''I'm sorry,'' she murmured with a small voice while wrapping her arms around his neck. ''I tried to fix him after but it was ugly.''

''She regrets,'' Maryse insisted.

Alec didn't want her sorry or her hug, it was too late and he didn't like her anymore right now. He didn't hug her back and stubbornly looked at his dragon, making Izzy tighten her embrace to show him how sorry she was but it didn't change anything, even if she hadn't wanted to make him cry he still did.

''I'm sorry Alec,'' she whined as she began to understand that he wouldn't forgive her because usually he immediately hugged her back.

Alec ignored her and Izzy's pout deepened. Maryse slightly shook her head and took her by the shoulders.

''What did you expect? You should have known beforehand that chopping his dragon would make him sad, you're punished from now on, so go into the corner near the TV.''

Izzy looked up at her imploringly but obeyed not without glancing one last time at Alec, still curled up against the wall, his dragon tightly squeezed against his chest and Church lying next to him.

''Hurry,'' their mom said before kneeling down, which earned her the suspicious stare of Alec and Church on her. ''And close the door.''

Izzy's sobs broke the silence and Maryse rolled her eyes before staring at Alec. ''You don't want to forgive her?''

''No,'' he mumbled.

''Why?''

Alec frowned but didn't answer and glared at her.

''Don't glare at me.''

So Alec glared at the wall.

''You want to sulk forever and ever?''

He nodded, he just wanted her to go away in order to be alone.

''You're mad at me for comforting Izzy first?'' she softly asked. ''You were pulling her hair and she was crying,'' she explained.

Alec didn't react and stubbornly stared at the wall, he was no longer frowning. He wasn't mad at her for that, he understood, Izzy was little and needed to be comforted more, besides she had been more noisy which had immediately drawn their mother's attention to her.

''I know that you love your dragon but it's only a toy. Does it justify what you did to your sister?''

His chest tightened and his nose began to sting once more. ''Leave me alone,'' he distinctly said and because there were no words or any move from his mom, he glanced at her out of the corner of the eyes to see that her lips were pursed and that she looked pretty hurt, he didn't feel bad but immediately stared back at the wall.

''Think about it and you can keep sulking if that's what you want,'' she said while standing up.

It was exactly what he wanted and would also have liked that Church went away but the grumpy cat had decided to stay, probably to see him cry. His mom closed the door of the bathroom behind her and Alec got now completely alone with his dragon and a cat who was staring at him in a scary way.

''I'm not stupid,'' he mumbled while staring at him with narrowed eyes.

Church let out a strange noise, it wasn't a meow nor a purr but something like a wheeze and a growl, which made him frown. He didn't dare to pet him and only moved to put the clothes hamper as it was before, to hide them just in case and even if his mother and Izzy already knew where he was. The grumpy cat seemed to like a lot this hideout and under Alec's wide eyes curled up against his leg, ready to take a nap.

Alec didn't dare to move nor brushed his fur, and lengthily stared at him before glancing at his dragon. He strangely and slightly felt better, despite still being mad at Izzy and a little at his mom. He was perfectly fine on his own, quietly and stubbornly hidden behind the clothes hamper, but it didn't prevent Maryse to check how he was doing several times.

''You're still sulking?'' she had asked each time.

And as Alec was supposed to sulk, he hadn't answered.

Izzy was no longer punished, the TV had been turned on and he could hear that she was watching Mulan for the umpteenth time. He sighed and moved into a more comfortable position, which awoke Church who threw at him a jaded look.

Then, the door suddenly opened, none of them had the time to react and they both narrowed their eyes when the clothes hamper was taken away and Alec saw his father who was still wearing his expensive suit as he just came back from work.

He scowled, especially when he moved closer to give him a hug. Robert sighed and slightly frowned.

''Come on,'' he said. ''Stop sulking, your mom told me everything,'' he added before pulling him by the arms and carried him. ''It's not easy to have a little sister, uh?''

Alec hesitantly stared at him without knowing if he could expect him to understand what he had gone through with his dragon but he wrapped his arms around his neck and nuzzled his face against his shoulder. Robert patted his back, grabbed his dragon to have a closer look at the destroyed toy and kissed his forehead to comfort him.

''You shouldn't have pulled Izzy's hair though,'' he murmured against his forehead. ''You know that, right?''

Alec nodded.

''I'll fix him,'' his father promised while staring with a frown at the leg that Izzy had tried to fix with glue.

It didn't convince Alec who frowned, he seriously doubted that his dragon could be like before but he wanted to believe in his father's words. They discreetly went in his study where Robert did his very best. He discovered with surprise that his mom, who had put them into a tissue lying on the desk, had picked up the pieces that had been wings before. Then, his father turned on the desk lamp and began to meticulously fix his dear dragon.

It was like a puzzle. Robert tried to see which pieces went here and there, glued them, wait for them to dry and started again. Alec's dragon looked nothing like before and was really ugly with all this glue. His dad seemed to think the same and looked with a slight frown at his work.

''I did my best.''

Not convinced at all, Alec stared with a puzzled look at the tail and wings. Everything was askew, ugly but fixed to look nothing like before. He had hoped and this result crushed his heart. Disappointed, Alec didn't thank him and quietly stared at his poor dragon.

They looked up when they heard someone shyly knock at the door. His father turned off the desk lamp and sighed.

''Come in.''

Izzy sheepishly opened the door and glanced with concern at Alec who did his best to ignore her.

''Come here,'' firmly said Robert.

Izzy hastened to obey him and moved closer, after closing the door, to stand on his left while Alec was on his right. She tried to meet his gaze but Alec stubbornly looked at his dragon.

''You fixed it?'' she asked with a small voice.

Alec finally looked up to see that his father was looking at her with his angry and scary face that made Izzy looked at her feet with a pout. She was about to cry and Alec couldn't help feeling happy. She deserved to cry all the tears of the world for what she had done.

''Does it look fix for you?'' he asked with a raised eyebrow while taking the toy to put it under her nose.

Izzy didn't answer and anxiously squeezed her hands, she finally shook her head with teary eyes.

''I didn't hear.''

''No,'' she mumbled.

''Look at me.''

She looked up and tears began to run down her cheeks. Seeing his sister silently crying like that didn't make Alec happy and he stared at her with concern and immediately wanted to comfort her, so he looked away in order to not feel overwhelmed by her tears caused by their father.

''I couldn't fix your brother's dragon because you've made sure to destroy his toy with a pair of scissors which was well-hidden with the glue. It meant that you did look for it with a purpose, you are really mean.''

When she heard that she was evil, as if it was the worst thing that could be said to her, Izzy burst into tears with a heartbreaking cry. Robert didn't flinch and calmly stared at her.

''Stop crying, it won't change what you did.''

Maybe he had hoped that this sentence would have made her stop crying but it worsened everything, and even him couldn't stay insensitive about her heartbreaking sobs. He heaved a sigh, pushed his chair back and wrapped an arm around her to lay her on his lap. Izzy immediately buried her face against his chest to wipe her face onto his suit. She was still sobbing but slightly calmed down even though she was still heavily breathing.

''Why did you try to fix it?'' he softly asked. ''Did you regret?''

Izzy nodded, her face still stuck against his torso. ''But it didn't work,'' she whined.

''Of course it didn't, you shouldn't have done that in the first place, you know that?''

She nodded and glanced at Alec with red and puffy eyes. ''I'm sorry.''

''The damage is done and sometimes being sorry is useless, do you understand?''

Alec slowly took back his dragon and looked at them with disinterest.

''Why do you always misbehave?'' sighed their dad.

Izzy shrugged, comfortably settled into his embrace.

''And you, Alec, you have to learn to forgive her, she's your little sister you have to set a good example.''

Alec looked up to meet his father's gaze and glanced at Izzy who was looking at him with shiny eyes, full of hope. No one seemed to understand that his dragon hadn't been only a toy for him and didn't understand why his parents wanted him to forgive her.

It was the first time that she had been very mean and he felt betrayed by what she had dared to do, so he wasn't ready to forgive her yet, far from it. He didn't want to and simply walked away with his damaged dragon that would never ever be the amazing dragon he had been before. 

*

The evening had been quite tumultuous because of a simple toy. Alec was still sulking which had upset a lot his parents as Izzy had slept with them because he was ignoring her. He was ignoring all of them actually, as they didn't seem to get how much he was in pain for a  _mere toy_.

He couldn't have sleep, even with Church who had been unusually snuggly with him.

For breakfast, the atmosphere was full of tension as it was the first big fight between Alec and Izzy.

Robert had badly slept and was in a bad mood because of Izzy's cries. ''Eat,'' he firmly said to Alec. ''Or no more blueberry yogurt.''

Alec who had refused to eat his bowl of cereals, too sweet for his liking, stared at him, almost defiantly, and calmly left the table under his dumbfounded gaze.

''No more blueberry yogurt,'' he repeated.

Alec didn't care, he already had eaten a lot of blueberry yogurts in all his young life.

''Why are you so stubborn?'' sighed his mom when he avoided her when she wanted to kiss him.

He was ready to sulk forever and ever until someone began to understand that Izzy shouldn't be forgiven so easily for what she had done. And until then, he would resent them.

As soon as he went into the classroom, he hastened to ask Mrs. Bean what meant ''materialistic'' as had said his dad about him on the way for the kindergarten.

''Don't be so materialistic Alec, you still have your dragon, I fixed him. And do you know how many children don't have toys in the world?'' he had said to him.

Alec had felt bad and got even more upset at him when he understood the meaning of  _materialistic._ Magnus who was quietly standing next to him, brightly smiled at him when he looked at him, and blinked when he saw that something was wrong, as Alec didn't smile back or didn't utter a single word despite his question to Mrs. Bean.

Currently, Alec was still shocked by Izzy's cruelty and the state of his dragon, and Magnus seemed to have guessed what had happened.

''Izzy did something?''

Alec nodded and mumbled ''my dragon'' before hugging him as he needed a hug right now. Magnus seemed to understand and squeezed him tightly.

''Don't cry.''

''I won't,'' Alec mumbled with a sniff.

Magnus glanced at his face with a slight frown and hurried to squeeze him even more tightly to prevent any tears. His hug worked and Alec didn't shed any tears.

The day after, Magnus brought with him his pterodactyl to cheer him up, even though it wasn't a dragon, this way, his army would still have a supreme master for the moment. This time, Alec had brightly smiled at Magnus who had immediately smiled back, relieved to see him less sad.

*

As a result from this incident, Alec became more quiet that usual and held up in his silence,  _just for a mere toy._ Nobody understood how awesome had been his dragon who could no longer fly and do anything dragon like.

Izzy was doing her best to make him play with her by playing near him while often glancing at him to make sure that he was watching, and then sadly pouted when she saw that he didn't react and wasn't paying attention to her. Never he had ignored her like this and never their relation had been this bad. But she was still trying and even stole a few lollipops in the kitchen for him that she finally ate by herself before crying.

Alec stood firm, even if it was exhausting to always sulk despite being still mad at her.

Even Santa Claus didn't understand anything and had brought him a new dragon with several diplodocus. This dragon was tiny, dull and looked like a chicken with scales. Alec didn't like him but did his best to not look ungrateful, as there was a lot of children out there who didn't have any toys to play with.

His dragon could still eat them though, maybe he would even get slightly better.

Nothing made him feel better and it worsened when, after feeding his dragon with the chicken with scales, he hid him somewhere in the house to make him heal and his father tried to throw him away as he didn't look good with the glue that disintegrated. His parents seriously thought that now that he had the chicken with scales to replace his dragon, they could throw him away as he was falling apart.

They immediately regretted it when Alec burst into tears but Robert then realized that he would never get over it, as the dragon had been for Alec what had been Mr. Cuddly Toy for Izzy. He gently tried to explain that Santa had done his very best to find the same dragon but that he had miserably failed to do so, hence the chicken with scales. Then, his mom explained that his dragon was falling apart and that it was quite dangerous for him with all the glue that could be toxic for him -which had been from the beginning- and which made her glare at her husband.

''Call Hodge,'' she mouthed when Alec took back his dragon from the kitchen bin.

He could get him back only if his father removed the dry glue, which meant no more wings, tail or leg. His dragon looked like a lame lizard once again but it was still better than nothing and it dried his tears while Izzy was quietly watching them with the little sword that she had got for Christmas.

 

Later, when it was time to sleep and right after Izzy had deserted the room to sleep with their parents as he still didn't want talk to her, Alec silently went out of the bedroom to leave behind Church who had sneaked into his bed to sleep with him. The grumpy cat meowed but didn't follow him and stared at him with narrowed eyes in the doorway.

Alec wasn't comfortable at all with Church, he wasn't really scared of him but was really careful around him just in case.

He could hear Izzy's giggles from his parents' room across the corridor and his mother's laugh, he sighed and went into the kitchen for a glass of water. His father, in the couch, didn't see him but Alec still bent down to not be seen.

''Hey, how are you doing ''

Alec froze and crouched down near Church's bowl, completely hidden. His father snorted.

''Yeah, do you remember where you got Alec's dragon? Izzy chopped him into a mess and Alec can't get over it.''

Hodge had been the one who had given him his dragon, he suddenly missed him. It had been quite some time since they last saw each other.

Robert swore. ''I won't go to Japan just to buy him a new dragon,'' he sighed. ''We got him another one for Christmas but it wasn't the same and he clearly didn't like it.''

Alec, still crouched down, frowned. Wasn't it Santa who had brought him the chicken with scales? Confused, he stared at the floor wondering if they were friends or something like that. But he wasn't really surprised, Santa would have done a better job by choosing a dragon than his parents.

''I don't know,'' his dad sighed again. ''Maybe because he cut Izzy's hair...honestly something is off since Alec's friend came over, Izzy is really jealous since she has discovered that Alec wouldn't play only with her...anyway, she's been crying for days, Alec doesn't talk to her anymore, to us either by the way, it's the tragedy of his life. Yeah of course but still, it's only a toy...he was clearly overly attached...I think that he's mad at Maryse for not having punished Izzy long enough and that we forgave her too quickly, besides, she comforted Izzy first, Alec was pulling her hair so... Yeah he pulled her hair.''

He was wrong, Alec wasn't mad for that, he understood. He sat down and rested against the fridge just behind him.

''We tried, he still has his dinosaurs and he even has new ones, he wanted diplodocus to feed his dragon and now... I don't have enough imagination to play with him, he told me, he says that I'm bad at it. Don't laugh. I fixed him with glue though but...yeah it was awful but it was still better than nothing, his dragon could still keep the box that you gave him. No, and I can't either, I don't think that he cares about what's inside, nor do I. Then you shouldn't have, they're too young for this kind of presents. So, Maryse saw the other day on TV that some glue could be toxic for kids, I wanted to throw his dragon but he cried, yeah he cried. I think I've never seen him cry this much, even as a baby...so now his dragon has no wings, no tail and one of his leg is missing but he still wants him.''

Everybody wanted him to forget his broken toy or to even throw him away to enjoy the others ones he owned. None of his other toys could compete and none of them could keep the puzzle box as his dragon had been able to do until now, and now he really missed Hodge. His father snorted and finally hung up while Alec, motionless, patiently waited for him to leave in order to go back into his room.

Church was grumpily waiting for him on his pillow, Alec stayed a long time in the doorway before reluctantly moving closer. The cat didn't move and watched him slid his body between the sheets. Alec curled up to not make his hair touch the fur of the fluffy cat who finally moved to nuzzle against his face, which made the little boy frown and hold back his breath. He pushed him with a groan and Church narrowed his eyes before doing it again, but this time Alec moved his head on time and wasn't smothered.

He glanced at the empty bed of Izzy and pouted, he was exhausted to always be sulking at everyone but he had to. He blinked and closed his eyes before feeling Church move against his cheek and stretch out half on him. He blinked and peeked at him before closing his eyes again. It wasn't that bad, Church was warm and soft after all.

He woke up in the night and frowned when he recognized his mom, leaning on him and who was correctly tucking him in his bed. Her hand stroked his cheek, making him blink.

''Church,'' she whispered. ''Come here.''

As the cat let out a snarly meowing, Alec guessed that she had taken him in her arms and he couldn't help feeling relieved.

''Still sulking?'' she whispered to him this time.

Alec didn't answer right away. ''Yes.''

She sighed and kissed his forehead. ''Good night,'' she murmured against his skin.

*

Magnus stared at his dragon with astonishment before glancing at Izzy as if she was the devil himself. She stiffened and stared at Alec who ignored her. Her pout deepened, she then stood up and left the playroom.

''I don't want a little sister,'' finally said Magnus. ''Fishes are better.''

His friend didn't ask to have his pterodactyl back and took one of his diplodocus that he stared at with curiosity before taking the chicken with scales.

''What's that?'' he asked.

Alec shrugged, he couldn't really identify this toy either. Magnus had been spoiled and a lot for Christmas and couldn't wait to show him what Sinterklaas had brought for him.

''Who's Sinterklaas?'' asked Alec, slightly confused.

Magnus frowned. ''He brings you presents on Christmas.''

''Santa ?''

Magnus nodded and explained that in Indonesia they called him Sinterklaas. As his name was different, Alec immediately asked if he was different as well but Magnus shook his head. He was exactly the same chubby old man who loved to dress in red and white. Then, he stared at him with narrowed eyes.

''He's the same because there's only one Sinterklaas.''

Alec, who was still wondering why his parents had been the ones to give him the chicken with scales and not Santa, calmly stared at him straight in the eyes. ''Santa has to give lots of presents to everyone and the world is a very big place, he can't do that alone.''

''He has elves to help him.''

''No, I think Santa has a big family and they all have the same name that's why everyone can have presents on Christmas.''

Magnus didn't look convince at all and began to line up all his dinosaurs. ''Why do you keep him, even if he looked like that?'' he asked while looking at his dragon.

''He's still the guardian of my box,'' Alec replied while putting him on top of it.

''You still didn't open it yet?''

''No.''

He knew that there was something inside and didn't really care about what it was, it was as if there were a secret inside the pull box and he liked this mystery so much that he wanted it to stay like this.

He put some diplodocus in front of his dragon and the box to defend them against several vicious tyrannosaurs, and Magnus grabbed his pterodactyl that he put between them.

''He'll protect him better.''

Alec smiled and looked up when he saw Izzy suddenly show up to stride towards Church who was comfortably settled in the stroller. Magnus and Alec, who hadn't noticed the cat, stared at her picking him up and carrying him like a bag of potatoes on her shoulder. They winced and watched her leave the room as quickly as she had come in.

''He must really like her,'' commented Magnus as Church hadn't reacted.

Alec thoughtfully stared at him, he didn't seem to have noticed the face she had made, she looked angry, sad and about to cry, she was probably feeling lonely. He glanced at his dragon and heavily breathed out. Magnus gazed at him with concern.

''What's wrong?''

Alec shrugged.

''You know, you look sad but not only because of your dragon,'' he said with a serious tone and a slight frown.

''But she was so mean, I've never done anything to her toys,'' Alec mumbled with a scowl.

Magnus couldn't understand how shocked he had been to discovered how mean Izzy could be on a whim. She had been evil but she was very sweet and nice usually, even if she could get annoying from time to time. He hadn't wanted to forgive her to make her understand how hurt he was by what she had done and it had wonderfully worked, except that now he was tired to always be sulking to show them all how sad he was and he was feeling pretty lonely as well.

He was stuck. He didn't know now how to come to her in order to make up, even less with his parents that he pushed away each time. It felt heavy to resent everyone for a mere toy that he had and still loved a lot.

Magnus patted his knee, not knowing what else to do to comfort him. ''She's like a baby, that's why she does a lot of stupid things,'' he tried to explain.

''She's three,'' Alec mumbled.

They played and mainly talked about Izzy. Magnus clearly wanted him to make up with her and Alec wanted to but he didn't know that if his friend was cheering for him and his sister it was only because he didn't want to be hated more than he already was, as he was monopolizing him, and was scared that Izzy would be even more jealous of him because he could play with Alec whereas she couldn't.

They were so into their game that they didn't notice that Izzy was quietly watching them on the doorway with a sad pout. It was only when Alec saw that Magnus was no longer playing that he looked up to finally notice his little sister.

''Mom made a cake,'' she mumbled while staring at her feet.

Magnus' eyes brightened and he quickly stood up while Alec cleared the playroom and the mess they had made. Izzy glanced at him and suddenly grabbed Magnus' hand before pulling him in the corridor. Alec looked up with a frown, wondering why she had kidnapped him. They were still here when he went out, Magnus was putting three lollipops into his left pocket and murmured ''okay'' while Izzy brightly smiled at him.

Alec frowned and quietly followed them to the table with a puzzled look. What was going on? Why Izzy suddenly gave to Magnus lollipops? Maybe she wanted to be friends with him too and he didn't really like it, Magnus was his friend, not hers. He wanted her to like him of course but not to steal him from him.

Maryse smiled when she saw them and hurried them to sit to eat the chocolate cake that she had just made before answering a call on her phone. Alec sat next to Magnus who had the eyes focused on the cake, he smiled and stared at Izzy who sat into her chair with a huff before looking with a concern at his mom who was making a very unhappy face.

As she was busy, he stood up on his chair to take the orange juice to pour some in their glasses. Magnus thanked him with a smile and Izzy looked rather shocked when he poured her some as well and she gazed at him with eyes full of hope but Alec awkwardly looked away, which made her pout and glance at Magnus.

He eyed at his mother who seemed now very angry over the phone, she paced around the table and even into the kitchen while speaking louder and more firmly.

''I can't, today's my day off, no one can watch over my kids besides me,'' she said with an eye roll.

Apparently, she had a lot of work, Alec sipped his drink while Izzy and Magnus took a big piece of cake with glutton eyes. He looked down at his plate when Magnus gave him a big piece. Now, his mother was calling his father to ask him if he could come to watch over them and explained that she had to go to her work place because something had happened.

''Why people have to do a half-assed job?'' she grumbled. ''I swear, it wasn't complicated and she messed up everything!''

The chocolate cake was delicious and Magnus licked his lips while Izzy was messily eating and had put cake everywhere around her plate. She dropped a small piece to feed Church and met Alec's stare that he hastened to lower to finish his plate.

Izzy lengthily stared at him, hoping that he would look up at her but he didn't and glanced at Magnus who was enthusiastically chewing his third piece of cake. Maryse, who was still on the phone, moved closer to see how they were doing and frowned when she saw how much they had eaten. She immediately stared at Magnus before wiping his mouth with a napkin and poured more orange juice in his glass before heaving a sigh when she saw how messy Izzy had been.

''Eat like a little girl not like a pig,'' she said before cleaning the crumbs on the table, then her face and fingers. She glanced at Alec who was quietly eating and wiped his mouth as well while Izzy was sulking for being called a pig.

''Pigs are cute,'' Magnus said, trying to be nice with her but it didn't work.

''I'm not a pig!'' she protested with a scowl.

''You eat like a pig,'' he corrected before licking his spoon.

Maryse was giving an other piece of cake to Alec who frowned, as he didn't want any and as soon as she walked away gave it to Magnus.

''Luke, it's Maryse. Is Hodge here? He doesn't answer my calls.''

Alec and Izzy suddenly stared at her as soon as she said Hodge. Izzy reacted first and hastened to get down from her chair to run towards their mother before hoping around her with her arm stretched out to show that she wanted to speak to Hodge too.

''Izzy,'' she scolded her with a frown when she almost began to climb on her to reach the phone.

Alec then glanced at Magnus. ''Why Izzy gave you lollipops?''

His friend blinked and hurried to swallow what he was chewing. ''It's a secret.''

Alec frowned. ''Why?''

''Because.''

''Because what?''

''She told me not to tell so I won't tell you, you want a lollipop?''

''No,'' Alec mumbled, highly displeased to not know what was going on.

From what he could hear, his mom was trying to convince Hodge to come over to babysit them. Magnus frowned and looked up after hearing the word babysit.

''What's that?'' he asked with confusion.

''It's a nanny who watches over children.''

''But she said babysit, we're not babies.''

''Izzy's still a baby, why did she give you lollipops?'' he asked again.

Magnus who had wanted to ask something else shut his mouth, put his two hands on his pursed lips and suddenly got down from his chair to run away. Alec ran after him with a wide smile while Izzy was still trying to speak to Hodge.

 

Comfortably sitting on their cushion in front of the TV, Alec and Magnus were watching a cartoon when Maryse suddenly grabbed the remote control to slightly decrease the sound. She had dressed up to go to work and had put on some makeup and perfume. Alec glanced at her with a slight frown, wondering why she had to go. She knelt down to be at their level and stared at Magnus straight in the eyes.

''Magnus, there's a man who will arrive soon,'' she softly said. ''His name is Hodge and he's a very good friend. I have an emergency at work that's why I need to go so Hodge will come over to babysit you, okay?''

Alec nodded to make him understand that he didn't have to be scared, Hodge was a very nice and decent person and he was pretty sure that he would like him as much as he did, even if he wasn't feeling comfortable around strangers. He would have like to go at his place in order to show him all the amazing things Hodge had and Crow, if he were here, but it was just as well, like this he would show Hodge his dragon.

As he was pretty excited, Magnus seemed to expect a lot from Hodge and began to be as excited as he was. Maryse stared at Alec and ran a hand through his hair, as she would have done in Church's fur.

''You seem in a better mood now,'' she said in a light tone. ''Keep an eye on Izzy and Magnus and don't bother Hodge too much.''

He reluctantly nodded but he was no longer mad at her and only sulked for a matter of form. She knew it obviously as she hugged and kissed him, and he didn't push her back as he did before weakening with time despite his stubbornness.

''Forgive Izzy,'' she murmured while stroking his hair. ''She regrets a lot, it'll make you feel better, I'm sure you feel lonely.''

She was cuddling him, he was okay with a kiss and a hug but this was too much for him to handle, he felt trapped in her embrace as she was tightly squeezing him against her chest. He glanced at Magnus who was lying face downwards in order to be able to see Church who was hiding under the couch.

''Mom, I'm five years old,'' he said with a muffled voice.

She snorted. ''You'll never be too grown-up for a kiss and a hug, besides you're only five years old as you say, it means that you can still receive a lot of kisses and hugs,'' she retorted before dropping a kiss on his dark hair.

He sighed with relief when she finally let him go and lay down next to Magnus while she stood up to see what Izzy was doing in the bathroom. The grumpy cat was trying to touch their hands with a lazy paw whenever they put it under his nose, which highly amused Magnus who chuckled a lot.

Alec suddenly heard a noise outside and straightened up before hearing the doorbell. A wide grin split his face and he ran toward the entrance, quickly followed by Magnus. He didn't ask who it was, too excited to remember what his parents had told him, and opened the door while Magnus slightly frowned to see him this careless.

Hogde was here, warmly dressed, with a huge bag. He smiled when he saw Alec and winced when the little boy hugged him, making him lose his balance.

''It's been quite some time,'' he said while ruffling his hair and Alec hugged him even more tighter, it didn't prevent him to walk in and to smile to Magnus who was looking at him with curiosity. ''You're Magnus I guess.''

Magnus nodded.

''I'm Hodge, nice to meet you.''

Magnus patiently waited for Alec to finish his hug to finally go and play but Alec had a lot of things to say to Hodge.

''Is it Church?'' he asked when he noticed the fluffy cat who was walking toward the kitchen.

Alec released him and grabbed Magnus' arm to take him with him while Hodge was slowly moving closer to the cat to pet him.

''I'll show him my dragon,'' he explained to Magnus.

''He doesn't look like a witch,'' said his friend, slightly disappointed.

Alec shrugged. ''Hodge's here,'' he said while opening the bathroom door.

Izzy had lipstick all over her face and their mother was cleaning her face with dismay. She also had wanted to get ready for Hodge and had thought that putting on lipstick was the key to be pretty, that was why she had put it everywhere, even on her hands. Magnus smiled when he saw her handprints everywhere on the furniture, the bathtube and the walls. Alec stared at his little sister amazed by her aptitude to misbehave.

Magnus slightly moved closer to him when Hodge suddenly appeared behind them, Alec looked up and smiled while Izzy let out an excited squeal when she saw him. Maryse finally noticed him and heaved a sigh.

''Don't leave her alone,'' she simply said.

Hodge did his best to not smile and Magnus pulled Alec by the arm to make him move, reminding him that he had to take his dragon.

When they came back, Izzy was in the corridor watching their mom and Hodge cleaning the bathroom. She was now all clean and looked at them before gasping when she saw that Alec intended to show Hodge what his dragon looked like. She clearly didn't want him to know that she had been very mean and stared with pleading eyes at Alec who ignored her. She stared at Magnus who shrugged and she scowled.

Their mother suddenly rushed out to grab her purse in her room, came back to kiss them -even Magnus was kissed- and she thanked Hodge again.

''Leave you'll be late and I'm seriously thinking about getting paid for being their nanny,'' Hodge seriously said.

Maryse smiled. ''Why not, call me if something happen and...''

''Just go,'' he cut her off with a sigh. ''They'll be fine.''

Alec nodded while Izzy was nervously looking at his dragon in his hand. Their mother looked at them one last time, probably feeling guilty to leave them for her job and finally left.

Izzy immediately stretched out her arms to be hold into Hodge's arms. He carried her with a little smile and glanced at Alec's dragon before staring at her.

''I won't ask if you were good with your brother,'' he softly said.

Izzy mumbled something against his neck where she nuzzled her face. He sighed and took the dragon that Alec handed to him.

''Why did you do that?'' he asked. ''For your hair?''

Izzy didn't answer and was still hiding her face. He patted her back and closely looked at the dragon with a slight wince. It had been a beautiful dragon that he had liked a lot, hence why he had offered him to Alec, and the little boy knew that he would understand how he felt to see him in his state. He lengthily stared at Alec, gave him back his dragon and ruffled his hair.

Hodge knew that they were on bad terms since then and didn't ask them to make up. Izzy explained to him her side of the story and Alec discovered that she had bribed Magnus with lollipops to help her to be in good terms with Alec who stared at Magnus, who sheepishly looked at him, obviously he hadn't even had the time to try.

Hodge then calmly explained to the little girl that as she had badly hurt her brother, it was pretty normal that he didn't intend to forgive her. When he saw that she was about to cry he hastened to suggest a game and they all sat in front of the TV, but Magnus had a hard time to understand the rules of the game, which made Hodge use his phone and google translate. Apparently, Mrs. and Mr. Bane had used it a lot and still did from time to time. Magnus whispered to Alec that Hodge's pronunciation in Indonesian was better than his parents'.

Alec glanced with curiosity at the bag that Hodge had brought with him still in the entrance, wondering what was inside.

''Church is cuter that I though he would be, your parents told me he was slightly savage but he's only a fluffy cat,'' Hodge said when he saw the grumpy cat coming closer to see what they were doing.

Izzy took him in her arms before sitting back on her cushion and held him as she would with a baby. Church blinked and glared at her while Hodge looked slightly worried. Magnus moved closer to stroke his head and Alec frowned, as he still wanted to play Parcheesi. He then looked up at Hodge, who smiled at him, and snuggled against him.

Hodge sighed. ''Your dragon has suffered a lot,'' he murmured.

Alec nodded.

''Nobody understands that you don't want another dragon, he was pretty awesome that's why you can't forget him.''

Alec squeezed him tightly, he knew that Hodge would understand him. Izzy and Magnus were now trying to catch Church who had hidden under the couch.

''But you know sometimes you have to move on, he's totally broken and no longer a toy, you only keep him because you like him and it'll make you suffer more to see him like this everyday,'' he said while making sure that Alec was listening to him. ''Either you keep him, either you throw him away but you'll have to stop sulking over him, Izzy apologized?''

Alec nodded. ''Yeah but if she regrets she didn't have to do that in the first place,'' he mumbled.

''She's little and mischievous,'' he said before glancing at her. ''But she's your little sister too and she loves you, I'm sure that you love her as much as she does and that you miss her too, am I wrong ?''

Alec frowned. ''But she doesn't understand what she did.''

''She does and if your parents didn't punish her for a long time it's because...''

''Because she's still a baby and cries a lot,'' he mumbled.

''You're as stubborn as your dad,'' sighed Hodge with an eyeroll and a little smile. ''You know, Izzy may broke and destroy a lot of your toys later,'' he said before quickly adding when he saw his eyes widen with fear : ''You can be mad of course and it'll make you sad but what I mean is that you'll lose some of your toys that you would have liked a lot. Some will be broken which will make you sad but it happens, that's life. I'm not telling you to forget your dragon but it's all right if you do, and forgive Izzy, she's your little sister, she hurt you but she didn't mean to. Show her that you're a good big brother.''

Alec, still frowning, anxiously thought about his dragon, his toys and Izzy.

''And I'm sure that you'll really love something very soon,'' softly added Hodge. ''It won't replace your dragon of course but it'll make you happy.''

''It's in the bag?''

Hodge pinched his nose and Izzy called him to show him the sword she had got for Christmas.

 

As soon as they got too noisy and excited to the point of being out of control, Hodge raised his voice.

''If you don't behave I won't give you the presents Santa gave me for you.''

Alec suddenly froze and Magnus who was running after him bumped into him, making him fall face down. Hodge winced but Alec immediately got up while Magnus apologized. Izzy, who was trying to kill a cushion, which was in fact a monster, with her sword, quietly sat down on the couch and Magnus and Alec stared at him with bright eyes.

''For me too?'' asked Magnus.

He seemed surprised but also suspicious, how Sinterklaas had knew that Hodge would come when he was here to give him his present?

''He knows everything.''

Izzy looked extremely worried and glanced at Alec who still hadn't forgiven her. As they were pretty excited and jumped everywhere, Hodge wanted to take them to the travelling funfair to show them how fun it was before they left for an other town. If Izzy and Alec seemed even more excited it wasn't Magnus' case who didn't understand what it was. For him it was just a park and he had seen several parks already, they weren't that fun which made him wonder why Izzy and Alec were this happy.

''It's like an amusement park with lots of games, booths, roller coasters, cotton candies, there's even a ferris wheel, you'll see,'' tried to explain Hodge.

Magnus suddenly looked worried. ''It's like a birthday party outside?''

''Kind of.''

Magnus winced.

''It'll be fun,'' Hodge said to reassure him.

They warmly dressed to go outside, Izzy had put on her puffy coat, her pompom scarf and bunny hat. She was really cute and Hodge smiled before making sure that they were all wearing warm clothes.

''We'll take the bus,'' he said when they stepped outside.

He closed the door while they carefully went down the stairs, Izzy suddenly held out her hand to hold hands with Alec but the latter was still not very ready and felt embarrassed after what happened between them.

Izzy blinked, pursed her lips and spun around. ''Alec doesn't want to hold hand with me,'' she whined while clinging to Hodge.

''I'll hold yours then,'' he said before staring at Alec but he didn't say anything.

They walked to the bus stop and Izzy glared at Magnus several times. ''You're not doing your job,'' she said.

Magnus, who was holding Alec's hand, looked really sorry and apologized.

''Izzy, you shouldn't bribe people with lollipops.''

''Alec forgive me please,'' she said.

Her brother frowned and looked at his feet.

''Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, I won't do that ever again, I promise.''

 _She'd better not,_  thought Alec, horrified, while Magnus squeezed his hand to encourage him because otherwise he didn't deserve the lollipops Izzy had given to him.

''If you're good,'' he solemnly said, ready to surrender.

Izzy beamed and seemed more cheerful than before, Hodge slightly smiled and held their hands even more tightly when the bus arrived. They went inside and for them, it was like a ride as they had never taken it before, hence their excitation and their chirping. Hodge swipe his card four times and hastened to handle them in order to not bother the other passengers.

''Izzy,'' he murmured. ''You don't want to make a witch angry, right?''

Izzy, who was standing up on her sit, blinked and immediately and properly sat while Alec was staring at Hodge with a frown. The latter quickly grabbed him and Magnus by the shoulder to make them all sit together while he was standing up.

''There's a lot of people here so don't bother them,'' he murmured. ''Otherwise I'll be very angry and you don't want to see me very angry.''

Izzy shook her head.

''He's a witch or not?'' whispered Magnus in Alec's ear.

''I don't know,'' Alec answered with confusion.

Until now, he would have said no but as Hodge had said that he was one he didn't know what to think.

They behaved and quietly looked through the window, amazed to to be able to ride the bus for the first time of their lives. As it was getting dark, Alec asked with worry what time it was, it was only 4:25 pm, which was a perfect time to have fun. This little trip didn't last long and they quickly reached their destination.

Hodge hastened to prevent Izzy from jumping into a puddle while Alec and Magnus were looking on their left after hearing noises and seeing a lot of people going over there. It clearly seemed like a very fun place.

''As you can see there's a lot people so you have to stay by my side, don't walk away or I'll make sure that my crows will find you.''

Alec discreetly looked up at the trees, without any leaves, to see that there were crows up there. He wondered if Crow was among them. Izzy got frightened and huddled up against Hodge's legs to make sure that the crows couldn't see her.

Magnus suddenly held Alec's hand while looking with concern at all the crows above them. Hodge had scared them but the latter didn't seem to mind and even seemed to find it very funny.

As they moved closer and closer to the funfair, there were still crows in the trees, Alec looked behind him to see if they were the same or not and looked up again, feeling observed. The crows were watching them while croaking as if they were laughing at them. He glanced at Hodge, maybe he was really a witch that could explain why he seemed to be friends with Santa, crows, and knew a lot of things.

They'd better not make the witch angry.

*

For Magnus, it was clearly better than a birthday party even if there was a lot of people. There were banners, colorful lights and interesting things everywhere. Alec winced when Magnus squeezed his hand harder as he marveled in front of so many pretty things.

When Hodge noticed that he had really scared Izzy with his crows he sheepishly took her in her arms, trying to comfort her, but it didn't really work as the crows were still watching them. She began to cry and had probably tried her best to not shed a tear until now given that it was a flood of tears.

Worried, Magnus frowned while Alec was staring at Hodge with a jaded look and slightly angry that he had made her cry.

''Izzy they won't do anything, they're just bored.''

Izzy whined. She didn't want them to be bored.

Hogde sighed, grabbed Alec's hand who took Magnus' one and they went to a remote area where there weren't any trees or any crows.

''Look, they're not here,'' he softly said.

Izzy checked with a skeptical and teary look and Hodge quickly dried her tears with one of her pompom on her scarf.

''They'll follow us!''

''Not if you behave.''

She sniffled and he also wiped her nose with one of her pompom as he didn't have tissues. She had calmed down but Hodge definitely felt guilty so he took them to a cotton candy booth where the lady also sold waffles, pancakes, candy apples, tea, hot chocolate and many delicious things. Magnus discovered with surprise that the fluffy pink candy thing wasn't only pink but could also be blue, yellow and green with a slight different flavor. He wanted to try them all.

For Alec, Hodge clearly wanted to bribe Izzy with food and it worked, she had totally forgotten the crows and was now holding her pink cotton candy with a satisfied smile. Magnus chose a blue one and Alec took a candy apple.

Magnus stared at the apple in his hand with a frown, he didn't really understand why there was a shiny apple which look as hard as a rock on a stick.

''It's sugar,'' explained Hodge who had just taken a tea.

He sat next to them on the bench while Magnus was still eyeing at Alec's candy with a frown.

''You can taste it,'' Alec suggested while moving his apple candy closer to his face that made him move backward.

He finally accepted to taste it but only with the tip of his tongue, he frowned, made some noise with his mouth to show that he was tasting it and took a big bite. He had eaten half of the apple to Alec's dismay who stared at him with narrowed eyes. He should have known. When Izzy saw that he had nothing to eat she handed him her cotton candy with eyes full of hope.

Alec refused, it was hers and he still had some left, besides Magnus gave him half of his cotton candy, which made Izzy pout and sigh. It wasn't against her but she didn't understand it this way.

They were too little to do a lot of things but still could do some like children's rides, stalls and games, claw machines and the Ferris wheel.

The first thing Izzy wanted to do was to ride the merry-go-round but her dilemma was that she didn't know whether she should ride a horse or go into a carriage. Either she was Mulan, either she was a princess and she clearly couldn't decide.

Magnus couldn't decide either between the tiger and the seahorse that Alec really found weird looking. As he didn't want to ride anything he went around until the merry-go-round began to spin and until Hodge caught him with a very tired sigh.

''Stay with me,'' he said before squeezing him with a face of panic when he saw that Magnus wasn't on the seahorse and that Izzy wasn't on her horse.

They weren't far and had both decided to ride the carriage, he let out a relieved sigh and asked Alec to sit with them for a picture.

''You too you like to take pictures?'' Alec scowled.

Hodge blinked. ''It'll make your mom happy.''

''Not me,'' he said with the same jaded tone.

Hodge narrowed his eyes and snorted.

They rode the merry-go-round three times until Hodge began to feel sick but Alec knew that it was because of people around them and not because it was spinning. The three of them had noticed that he didn't feel well despite doing as if everything was fine.

He wasn't fine around people and the only thing Izzy and Alec did was to hug him to comfort him while Magnus was staring at him to identify what kind of pain he felt and why.

Embarrassed, Hodge froze, he couldn't really move with two children stuck to his legs, he stroked their hair though their knit-cap and casually asked them what they wanted to do next.

Magnus took his hand for the first time and led them to a booth where they had to fish rubber duckies and where there weren't a lot of people.

As Hodge was paying for everything, Magnus automatically asked if he was rich which made him snort.

''Sadly no, you're not cold?'' he asked.

It was now way colder than before but it didn't seem to bother any of them. When Alec saw that Izzy's scarf wasn't properly wrapped around her neck he correctly put it back, given that he was nice with her, Izzy immediately asked if he had forgiven her.

''Not yet,'' he said but only to tease her.

A pout appeared on his little sister's lips and Alec hid his smile behind his own scarf while Magnus was explaining to Hodge that there was a fountain inside his house, in the living room, with fishes who had weird names. Alec, then, made sure that Izzy wouldn't look up to see the silent crows in the trees who were still noticeable with the pretty lights that lightened the place.

It wasn't that late but now the sky got completely dark.

She noisily yawned and blinked before reaching out for Hodge to be carried.

''You don't need to ride on the merry-go-round,'' he said when he took her in his arms.

Magnus moved closer to Alec to show him the crows. ''They're still watching us,'' he whispered.

Alec discreetly looked up and not feeling comfortable took Magnus' hand who smiled.

''You're scared.''

''Not you?''

Magnus squeezed his hand. ''He doesn't really look like a witch.''

''Because he's not,'' Alec whispered but he wasn't that sure.

Magnus warily glanced up one last time at the crows and they both flinched when one of them fly away before getting closer to Hodge just in case. And yet, Magnus was quite happy to know a real witch which explained why he was looking at him, like Izzy, expecting him to suddenly do something really amazing. But the only really amazing thing that Hodge could do as a human being was to win toys in several claw machines, which was highly satisfying.

Magnus got a parrot cuddly toy and when Izzy had to choose what she wanted to have, she glanced at Alec and picked the stuffed toy that looked like a dragon whereas it was just Charmander, a pokemon. She could have chosen the pretty little doll just next to it but she wanted the little dragon for Alec who suddenly got embarrassed by her kindness.

He had always known that Izzy could be very nice and slightly felt guilty to still resent her for his dragon. As soon as Hodge got her the cuddly toy, she gave to him the orange thing that looked too cute to be a dragon before sniffing. Alec took it without thanking her, he was still mad at her but was ready to forgive her. When it was his turn to choose the toy that he would like to have, he picked the pretty doll -that Hodge easily got for him with his amazing witch talents- that he gave to her right after.

Izzy stared at him in a daze as if it was the most awesome present in the world whereas he just did what she had done for him. She hugged him, very tightly, mumbled an umpteenth sorry and Alec glared at Hodge when he took a picture of them. 

Magnus, who had been happy to see them make up, frowned when Izzy insisted to hold both of Alec's hands, which meant that he couldn't hold hand with him. It was her turn to monopolize him to catch up. Given the situation, Hodge wisely decided to take her into his arms so that Alec and Magnus could hold each other hand but mainly because Magnus had coldly looked at her as if he hadn't believed that she had dared to be this selfish, and to prevent any fights.

''The Ferris wheel will be our last ride, it's getting very cold and late,'' Hodge lowly said, clearly looking exhausted to have taken them outside.

When Alec understood that they would have to go into a cabin carried by a huge wheel, he chickened out. It was definitely a popular attraction but seeing all the people with children around him didn't reassure him at all, despite Hodge's comforted words.

Magnus couldn't wait to see his house and all the town while Izzy seriously asked if she'll be able to touch the sky, which made the young couple in front of them in the waiting queue turned around and smiled. Alec blankly stared at Hodge who had knelt down to carefully explained that it wouldn't be scary.

The little boy nervously squeezed his hands and his eyes widened when he saw that the wheel had suddenly stopped.

''They do that on purpose to let people look at the view around,'' he hastened to say. ''Alec if you're too scared we won't go,'' he murmured to not be heard by Magnus and Izzy who marveled when the wheel lights' colors changed.

''I'm not scared,'' Alec mumbled. ''I'm worried.''

Hodge snorted. ''About what?''

''What if we fall?''

''We won't fall.''

''It'll move.''

''Not that much, you can sit inside so you won't feel the cabin move.''

''It's very high.''

''Like this you'll see how pretty the town looks like and the sky is clear to see the stars, it'll be very pretty,'' he said as if it was a magic word that would end up convince him to go with them. ''And I'm here, so nothing will happen.''

Alec stared at him. ''I'll go but only if you tell me if you're a witch or not.''

Hodge's smile widened. ''It depends, if you think that I'm one then I am.''

''It's not an answer,'' Alec protested.

Hodge straightened up and mysteriously smiled before glancing at Magnus and Izzy to check what they were doing. Magnus was carefully listening to her as she was describing her pretty doll that she had managed to take out of the box. Alec suddenly hugged Hodge to thank him for today, when Izzy saw that it was hug time, she wrapped her arms around his legs as well and squeezed. Magnus looked at them, moved closer and patted his hand to show his affection.

Embarrassed, Hodge cleared his throat and awkwardly asked them to release him, they didn't as he was warm and they were cold.

Shortly after, Magnus whispered to Alec that he liked a lot Hodge and that he was a great nanny which made him smile, happy that he also liked him.

When it was their turn to get into a cabin, Izzy grabbed Alec's hand to make sure that he was okay but he clearly wasn't. It rocked and he hastened to sit beside Magnus who had the face stuck to the window. It was even worse when Hodge came in, making him stiffen and close his eyes.

Izzy jumped to sit next to him just in front of them. Alec held back his breath and stared at his feet when the wheel very slowly began to move. Izzy let out an excited squeal while Magnus was looking at him with worry.

''You're scared?''

''No.''

''You're scared.''

''No.''

''Alec is scared,'' he said to Hodge.

''Do you want to sit with me?'' asked Hodge, looking worried.

''No, I'm fine and I'm not scared,'' he firmly said to Magnus who smiled.

''Izzy sit with them, I'll take a picture of you,'' Hodge murmured while taking his phone.

This time the cabin didn't move when Izzy walked to sit between them but Alec still winced.

''It's a present and presents are precious,'' said Magnus when Izzy asked why he kept his parrot cuddly toy inside the plastic bag.

''Smile.''

Only Izzy was smiling, Alec was looking through the window with a worried face and Magnus was sneezing, but Hodge was satisfied as long as they looked cute.

Finally, hanging over the void wasn't that scary, thought Alec who was now looking down, without any problem, over Magnus' shoulder. After Hodge had approximately showed them where their houses where with his finger on the window, Alec rested his chin on Magnus' shoulder with a sigh.

''Hodge doesn't know if he's a witch or not,'' he whispered.

Magnus frowned and glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes. ''What do you mean he doesn't know?'' he asked as if it was very stupid.

Alec shrugged while Izzy was staring at them with a frown. ''He's a witch, right?'' she said to Hodge who was looking at his phone.

He smiled. ''If you want.''

''See?'' she said in an obvious tone which made Alec and Magnus frown.

While Izzy and Magnus argued about witches and crows, Alec eyed at Hodge after remembering the question he had wanted to ask when he had seen all these children around him earlier. Hodge knew everything.

''How babies are made?'' he suddenly asked. 

Hodge, who was, quietly looking outside, gazed at him and blinked. ''How babies are made?'' he repeated with a strangled voice.

Alec nodded while he was speechless.

''Why do you ask me?''

Alec frowned. ''You don't know?'' he asked disappointed.

''No that's why I don't have kids,'' lied Hodge.

''What's wrong?'' asked Izzy while hopping around.

''Hodge doesn't know how babies are made,'' Alec explained while clinging to Magnus, fearing that the cabin would move.

Magnus looked at him, surprised. ''I know, you swallow a seed that grows in the belly.''

''But where the seed comes from?'' Alec asked with narrowed eyes, trying to imagine his mom eating a seed that looked like a medicine.

Magnus shrugged. ''From a flower?''

Izzy didn't seem interested by the topic and sat next to Hodge who was listening to them with a little smile.

''What about storks?'' he lowly said.

Alec frowned. ''You said that you didn't know.''

''I don't, get ready we're landing.''

''What's storks?'' asked Magnus when the cabin stopped moving.

Hodge was the first one to get out to help them and asked how it was. Alec smiled, Izzy almost forgot her doll that Magnus had picked up for her. She thanked him and asked Hodge to carry her.

''I want to go home,'' she mumbled.

''We're going back home,'' he said while taking her into his arms and held Alec's hand who took Magnus' one.

Hodge described what looked like storks, which made Magnus frown. Like Alec, he didn't think either that they were the ones who brought babies into their family. They wouldn't make mistakes.

''What mistakes?'' asked Hodge with confusion while staring at him.

''To bring the wrong baby.''

Alec looked up to see that Hodge looked really worried and it was even worse when Magnus carried on.

''Like me, that's why my parents didn't want me.''

Alec stared at him and frowned when he saw how sad he was. At first, he thought that he was talking about Mr and Mrs Bane but he obviously wasn't talking about them, Magnus had had parents before, in Indonesia, and it was the first time that he mentioned them.

''And my new mom can't eat seeds that's why she doesn't have children and had to go to Indonesia to pick me up.''

''Maybe the stork got lost or got an accident,'' murmured Alec to explain that she had never received any babies.

Hodge remained strangely silent, unable to utter a word. They quietly walked to the bus stop but he glanced several times at him and finally Izzy said something, startling them as they thought that she was sleeping.

''Babies are dolls that witches bring to life,'' she said very seriously.

Alec and Magnus winced, she was playing with babies then.

Izzy didn't seem to mind and shook her doll before yawning. ''Hodge, you'll give us Santa's presents?'' she asked. ''I was good, Alec and Magnus too.''

Hodge finally smiled. ''If you also behave in the bus yes, so did you have fun today?''

The three of them nodded. Magnus wanted to go here again with him because he was really nice for a witch. Izzy suddenly looked up to make sure that there were no crows and hid her face in her hands when she saw something flying above them.

Alec looked at his Charmander that he was holding by the tail while holding Magnus' hand and smiled. He was too cute to be a dragon but he was glad that Izzy had given him to him to make up for their fight.

Magnus yawned and stared at the group of teenagers near them at the bus stop, he was preciously and tightly holding his parrot cuddly toy against his chest.

 

None of their parents were home when they came back which didn't disturbed them actually, on contrary, Hodge was way more fun than them.

Magnus politely asked if it was really late as he mom had to pick him up.

''It's 7:17 pm, there's still time,'' Hodge said while helping him to take his clothes off.

Church glared at them for the noise and ran as soon as he saw Izzy moving closer.

''Wash your hands first and I'll give you your presents,'' Hodge sighed before closing his eyes and wallowed in the couch.

''You too,'' Alec said who didn't want him to sleep.

Hodge let out a growl before reluctantly standing up to also wash his hand but in the kitchen. Magnus and Izzy were already waiting in the living room, eager to see what was inside the bag that Hodge had carefully hidden.

The plastic bag was under the couch that he pulled out with a mysterious smile. Alec hastened to put his cuddly toy with his dragon in the playroom, to help him protect the puzzle box, and quickly came back.

Izzy was looking with amazement at a funko pop figurine that exactly looked like Mushu, not only there was Mushu but there was also Criquet with him, to fully be like Mulan. Now Izzy had her own Mushu and could leave Church alone who was grumpily looking at them from the kitchen.

She hugged Hodge and Alec asked why the presents weren't gift-wrapped. Magnus nodded and Hodge stared at him wearily.

''You ask a lot of questions,'' he said while taking out Magnus' present.

It was the same kind of figurine than Izzy's one but this time it was a pirate, Magnus brightly smiled at him to thank him and looked at his figurine with a huge smile. Alec wondered what he would get, maybe a dragon but he didn't want a cute looking one, he didn't want another dragon at all in fact.

Hodge smiled. ''Yours is a little different, Santa knows that you love your dragon a lot and that you don't want to have another one,'' he began to say before shutting his mouth. He had remembered that Alec had gotten a dragon for Christmas even if it looked more like a chicken. They stared at each other for a while and Hodge awkwardly winced. ''Anyway, you'll like it a lot.''

It was a bow.

Alec blinked and lengthily stared at it before daring to take it. Izzy was already gone to play with Mushu and Criquet while Magnus was looking with curiosity at the thing in his hands.

''What's that?''

''It's a bow and arrows,'' Hodge said before handing him six colorful sticks with a suction cup on the tip.

Alec still hadn't said anything and Hodge got worried.

''It's to cheer you up for your dragon,'' he murmured.

Alec was just too astonished to thank him, at first he had thought '' _wow a bow!''_  and then '' _like Robin Hood!''_  Nothing else. His five years old brain was too shaken by the awesomeness of this present and wondered why Santa hadn't brought that for Christmas instead of the chicken with scales.

He suddenly hugged Hodge and accidentally hit him with his bow in the stomach.

''Sorry,'' he mumbled against his clothes.

Magnus patiently waited for him to finish his hug before also hugging him more quickly and not as long as Alec did.

The little boy carefully looked at the red curved that wasn't wood and drew his bow before taking a yellow arrow.

''Alec don't aim at your sister, Church, your parents or anyone else,'' said Hodge to make sure that he wouldn't hurt someone.

Magnus stepped backward when Alec stared at him with a little smile. ''No,'' he scowled.

Alec lowered his bow. Relieved, Magnus moved closer to try while Alec looked more closely at his figurine. It was cute but he liked his bow better. In his eyes, his present was more amazing than Magnus and Izzy's ones, even if the two of them were extremely happy of what they had received.

Hodge heaved a sigh when Izzy tried to stick one of the arrows on Church's fur before claiming that it didn't work and that it was broken.

Then, a very tired Hodge who couldn't wait to go home sat next to Alec on the couch before noticing that Magnus had fallen asleep. Alec, who hadn't even noticed that he was sound asleep despite his silence, hastened to put another cushion under his head for more comfort.

''When mom and dad will come back?'' whispered Alec.

Hodge frowned. ''Soon, I hope,'' he said after hearing Izzy roar to show Church how to be a tiger. ''Do you feel better now with Izzy and your bow?''

Alec nodded and snuggled against him. Hodge pinched his nose and glanced at Magnus to see if he was still asleep.

''Are you a witch?'' Alec asked again as he wanted a real answer.

This question was still better than the one about babies.

''If I tell you, you'll say everything to your sister.''

Alec shook his head and promised to keep this secret.

''No, I'm perfectly ordinary,'' Hodge whispered.

Alec smiled, he knew it. He had to tell Magnus as soon as he would wake up. ''Is Santa real?''

Hodge's eyes widened and his mouth opened. ''Alec,'' he breathed out, mortified. ''Stop asking questions, I know nothing, ask your parents.''

Alec scowled and glanced at him to see that he was staring at him with a distressed look. ''Stop thinking,'' begged him Hodge.

''Why do you know nothing?'' he asked because until now he had always thought that he knew everything.

''Your questions aren't easy.''

Alec narrowed his eyes before blinking and yawned. He was too tired to ask something else, he couldn't wait for his parents to come back to show them his bow and to tell them that he intended to stop sulking.

''Hodge I need a horse!'' shouted Izzy while running in the living room before noticing that Magnus was asleep, Alec almost and Hodge half-asleep. ''Don't sleep,'' she whined after shaking him.

Alec stared at her when she grabbed his leg to shake him as well.

''Where's mom?''

''She's working.''

''And dad?''

''Same, and don't speak loudly, Magnus' sleeping,'' he scolded her.

Izzy scowled, stroked Magnus' hair and walked away. Alec was now stuck between two persons sound asleep, he tried to come down from the couch as silently as he could, Magnus frowned in his sleep so he properly put back the cushions under his head. Then, he successfully reached his bow on the floor, took an arrow and quietly walked to the playroom to play with Izzy.

He soon noticed that aiming was hard and several times shoot Izzy who glared at him whereas he had tried to aim at Magnus' pterodactyl. He tried to aim at every toy, let alone his dragon, and miserably failed.

Being an archer wasn't easy and Church, who was hiding among the toys to protect himself, hissed when he saw him draw his bow for the umpteenth time, even Izzy curled up into a ball to make sure to not be the target.

Alec wasn't good at aiming at all but it was fun and made him feel better after the loss of his amazing dragon.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All this drama to make Hodge offer a bow to Alec ! His first little bow, this is so overwhelming ! ^^
> 
> For those who wonder, I won't write every year of their lives, and as I said in a comment, it'll be pretty boring for you and for me and I don't have that much of imagination. They just need to bond pretty hard right now (and because they're so cute), it's necessary to settle good and strong basis for later :) 
> 
> I'll update every two weeks, I'll do my best but I might me late. I have exams at the end of the month and an internship right after, for a very long time, so no more free time to think or write about Malec like before.  
> If I'm late don't worry, if I'm very very late don't worry either I'd just need more time to write ! :)
> 
> Thanks for reading ! (●'◡'●)ﾉ


	6. The promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologized for the mistakes as always and will add some drama to this note for a change.
> 
> To whom it may concern ~~and by that I mean those who feel the need to complain.~~
> 
> Following some comments, I've added the slow-burn tag and these little things just under the summary which show that the **childhood stage** is still **ongoing**. But apparently it's still not clear enough.
> 
> Besides being free to write what I want in the summary, I am also free to write what I want in this story. I understand that it may be boring, too slow, that you're disappointed, that you would have wished for something better, that you feel misled, but I like what I wrote and the summary is perfect for what I'm planning to write.  
>  I want this story to be like this so, as the author, I'm asking you to not complain about my work. You can criticize my writing if you feel the need to but not the content. It's not a book that you have bought, it's just a fanfiction and it's free.
> 
> If you don't like it or are disappointed, note that you have just wasted your time and not your money - and let's say the battery of your phone, tablet or computer-. So don't waste even more of your time by writing about how better it would have been to write another summary, how long it is, how boring it might be... it won't change anything about how I want this story to be and you have better things to do than complain.
> 
> I'm just sharing what I'm writing for myself, it's not perfect, it could have been better, but I like it and that's all that matters for me.
> 
> Thank you =^._.^= ∫

Alec was still trying to aim accurately with his arrows but he couldn't. Disappointed once again, he lowered his bow and heaved a sigh. He was so bad at it that Church refused to come near him anymore. He was too scared since he had accidentally shot him, it hadn't hurt but the grumpy cat got really scared and was now traumatized.

Besides, Izzy also didn't come near him whenever he wanted to play with his bow.

No one did actually.

And his parents seemed to be pretty annoyed by the noises he made when he clumsily dropped his bow, an arrow, and by the sound of the suction cup against the window. They had been relieved that he had overcome the horrible loss of his dragon but it didn't last.

Alec knew that he wasn't good at it, he could tell with their sighs and stares but he carried on, not caring at all about them. There was now only him, his bow, and his arrows that mattered. And Robin Hood, the only person that was good at archery that he had heard of.

After a disastrous seance in the playroom, he decided that he had to study more and ran toward the TV to watch Robin Hood for the umpteenth time. His father was reading a book in the couch and Izzy and his mother were somewhere outside. When Church saw him coming, he hastened to get off from the couch with narrowed eyes and hid underneath looking grumpier than ever.

Alec had apologized many times already. He knelt down and Church moved further back before opening his mouth, ready to hiss.

''Leave him alone,'' sighed Robert while turning the page.

Alec stood up to walk toward the closet where he could find all the Disney movies and easily found Robin Hood, as he had watched it with Izzy – who was studying with him how to be a good archer but he knew that she just pretended- yesterday, and the day before, and the day before before, and the day before before before.

He handed the DVD to his dad who didn't look up. Alec frowned and shook his hand, making him shake his book, to distract him from his reading.

''Dad, I want to watch this.''

Robert heaved a sigh when he saw for the umpteenth time what he wanted to watch. ''Again ?'' he said, displeased and jaded, and probably surprised that he still didn't get bored with that. ''Don't you want to watch something else ?''

Alec stared at him, waiting for him to take it.

His father sighed and stood up to run the movie. Alec contentedly smiled, grabbed a cushion that he dropped before sitting on it.

''Of course not,'' grumpily mumbled Robert before turning the TV on. ''You know you won't get better like this, if you're still into archery when you'll get a little older I'll sign you up for archery lessons, it'll be more efficient than a fox that is always singing.''

Alec beamed. ''Really?''

''Yes, with a real bow and real arrows,'' he said before snorting when he saw his face. ''Don't sit here, go on the couch.''

''How long I'll have to wait?'' he asked before doing so, thinking about the soon that his parents often said to his sister.

''Until I say ''Alec, I just signed you up for archery lessons''''.

''You're not lying?'' he asked while sitting on the couch.

''No.''

''Really?''

''Really,'' softly said his dad after taking the remote control.

Alec stared at him and nestled between two cushions in order to study in good conditions. ''Okay.''

Robert ruffled his hair when he sat back, next to him, and got back his book that he hastened to open while glancing up in a jaded way at the TV screen. Church finally went out from his hideout - carefully though, just in case- but Alec didn't notice, he was too focused on the cartoon.

''He doesn't use his bow that much,'' casually commented his dad.

It was true but Alec didn't care there was archery there, the bunny to whom Robin Hood offered a bow was like him and didn't really know how to use it. But still, in the archery contest they could see the amazing talent of a disguised Robin Hood.

And yet, Alec did hold his bow the same way, he didn't understand why he couldn't properly aim while doing the same. He grabbed the remote, paused and went to fetch his bow that was still in the playroom.

He came back with it and several arrows to study properly in front of the TV where he sat on the cushion on the floor. He pulled back the bowstring without any arrow just to imitate Robin Hood and sighed. His bow wasn't the same obviously, wasn't that awesome and was only in plastic.

He was no longer interested in the cartoon and was now trying to aim at his father's leg that was moving.

''Alec,'' he said with a glance. ''Don't.''

''It doesn't hurt.''

He hastened to lower his toy when he saw his father's stare on him. The latter closed his book, looking pretty annoyed.

''There wasn't a target with it, to aim at?''

Alec shook his head.

''You're sure?'' he said before standing up.

Alec squeezed his bow and the arrows tightly against him just in case his dad would want to suddenly take them away but he didn't and disappeared for a few seconds to come back with a piece of paper and several markers.

''Come here,'' he said near the table.

Alec moved closer with a frown, still tightly hugging his bow and arrows, and saw that he was drawing a big circle on the blank paper. Then, smaller ones inside before quickly coloring them, almost messily. It wasn't very pretty and Alec's frown deepened. Magnus would have done a better job, even Izzy. But Robert looked pretty satisfied.

''This is a target that you have to aim at whenever you want to use your bow, it's better than using your toys and you'll be less noisy like this. See the red circles in the middle ? You have to aim at them, the further you get from the center, the worst you are.''

Alec blankly stared at the drawing and he got suddenly worried, he didn't want to be terribly bad at it even if he wasn't already good at it.

''You just have to touch it with your arrow,'' said Robert while taking one and he frowned when he noticed than the suction cup was already damaged and slotted. ''It won't stick to anything anyway.''

It could stick to the windows actually but his mother didn't like it and was scared that he broke one of them, which explained why he couldn't do that anymore.

Then, Alec followed him when he walked toward the playroom, wondering what he intended to do with the sheet of paper. Robert stuck it against the wall, just above the toys box but not too high. He stepped backward to make sure that it looked fine and took his bow and an arrow to show him how to be good at it.

Alec frowned when he saw him draw the bow with a green arrow with too much strength for a mere plastic toy, the bow didn't break but the string suddenly gave away. His eyes widened and he blankly stared at his dad who could only look surprised.

''Shit,'' he said before noticing the way Alec was looking at him. ''It's not broken,'' he hastened to add. ''Look, I just have to tie a knot here and it'll be like before, I'll fix it.''

The little boy genuinely wondered why everyone had to break his belongings and heaved a sigh through his nose while pursuing his lips, clearly unhappy. But Robert fixed it, he just had to pull the string through a tiny hole at the end of the bow, where the string had been untied by too much enthusiasm. The red bow was now like before and Alec felt incredibly relieved.

His father ruffled his hair with a sheepish smile and finally showed him how to aim. The toy seemed ridiculously small in his arms but Alec couldn't help feeling impressed when he managed to aim at the paper on the wall, which was quite far from them.

''See? I touched it, I didn't touch at all the red circles and the other ones but I touched the sheet of paper. So try to do that at first and little by little you'll become more precise, alright?''

Alec was already waiting for him to give him back his bow, his hand out. He also got back his arrow and, after making sure that his bow was like before, shot.

He totally missed it and the arrow miserably fell on the floor after hitting the stroller, which was on the left corner of the room.

''Alec, look at the target not at your arrow,'' said Robert in an amused voice. ''Look in front of you, if you want to aim at the red circles you have to stare at them.''

The little boy blinked. How could he aim accurately if he didn't look at what he was doing? It didn't make sense. His confusion seemed to highly amuse his dad who once again showed him. He had to do it several times until Alec understood that he could draw his bow without staring at it. And he got suddenly a lot better. Not as good as his father but still, he became more and more like Robin Hood.

He brightly smiled.

Robert sighed. ''Keep practicing, I have a book to read,'' he said and before closing the door behind him, he asked if he could turn off the TV but Alec was too busy to prepare himself for another shoot.

Alec no longer needed to watch Robin Hood, he couldn't wait to show to Izzy, Church and his mom how better he was now and that they didn't have to be afraid of him anymore. As soon as he thought about Church, he carefully put his bow on the floor and hurried to go and fetch him in order to show him.

His father frowned when he saw him coming after him and Alec even pushed him as he was in the way. Church was grooming his fluffy fur on the carpet, stretched out in a weird position, and he immediately stopped when he noticed him. Usually, Alec would have waited for him to finish or wouldn't have dared to touch him at all but this time it was an urgency.

He bent down, slowly and carefully took the cat into his arm like would have done Izzy. Church didn't react that much if not staring at him with his narrowed amber eyes, as usual. Alec didn't hold him often, he never really did actually and got surprised that he was this light. It would have been nice and he would have enjoyed it if he weren’t scared to be scratched.

He hastened to go back into the playroom, tightly hugging the grumpy cat against him, and gently put him on the floor before closing the door behind him to prevent any escape. But Church didn't trust him anymore and hid between Izzy's doll house and some cuddly toys.

''I got better, look,'' Alec said while taking his bow and an arrow.

But Church didn't care about his improvement in archery.

''Don't sleep,'' Alec scowled before moving closer to see that he had comfortably nuzzled against an old cuddly toy to take a nap. ''Church.''

His fingers shyly brushed his fur, which earned him an annoyed glance. He heaved a sigh and stared at him before also laying on the carpet. He just had to wait for his mom and Izzy to come back then.

*

Alec couldn't wait to hear the '' _I'll sign you up for archery lessons_ '' but he was quietly and patiently waiting despite being scared that his father would forget, busy as he already was to remember a lot of things.

 

He didn't really trust him and, just in case, told his mom about it as she had a better memory than him. She had been impressed by his new skills and had even written on a little piece of sticky pink paper  _Archery lessons for Alec_  that she had stuck on the fridge to show him that she wouldn't forget and maybe to be finally left alone.

Izzy who was trying to feed Mushu and Criquet glanced at his satisfied look before resuming what she was doing. She also had been impressed but Alec didn't know if she had been sincere as she had rushed onto Church to pet him as soon as she had seen him in the playroom.

Before eating his breakfast, he carefully hid his bow, his arrows, his poor dragon and his puzzle box in a very special place: in the bathroom, just behind the toilet, like Church who was also hiding all his treasures here. He had randomly discovered this hideout when he had seen one of his dinosaurs that he had thought lost forever on the floor. His curiosity let him find that Church was worse than Izzy and that she had many times been wrongfully blamed for the missing lollipops, some of Alec's toys and some of their mom's make-up.

Church was smart and Alec couldn't help looking at him with amazement now as this hideout couldn't be discovered by anyone, in his opinion. He looked with satisfaction at this amazing and secret place before moving the toilet paper to hide the whole thing better.

But his mom knew everything and frowned when she saw him on his knees whereas he was supposed to brush his teeth before going to school.

''What are you doing?'' she asked but she didn't let him answer and hastened to lift him up.

Alec winced. ''It's not me,'' he hastened to say.

''You're not a cat and Izzy won't destroy your toys anymore,'' she firmly said before looking at all the things that had been stolen and hidden. ''Why does he behave like a squirrel?'' she mumbled while beginning to clear up.

''Mom,'' Alec said with a frown.

''Izzy won't do anything,'' she promised while taking his belongings with her to put them where they should be.

Alec wanted to follow her but Robert grabbed him by the shoulders, as they would be late. And he was because of Izzy and Church. One had discovered a lot of lollipops and had wanted to take them all while making a scene and the other hadn't been happy that his hideout for his treasures had been discovered. Church had even scratched Maryse and had tried to bite her, frightening Izzy who had cried, upsetting Robert who had scolded all of them for having disturbed the grumpy cat.

He slightly felt guilty that everything had happened because of him and got worried that Church would resent him for it.

Once at school, he looked for Magnus who was nowhere to be found. He wasn't here and Alec stood motionless in the middle of the class with confusion, wondering why. Nobody knew where he was, so Alec went to play by himself in a corner where he randomly picked a book, ignoring the other kids, especially Chaph who had said that he could come and play with him. Mrs. Bean also told him that he could play with the others, as he was always with Magnus usually, but Alec didn't care and was happy by himself, despite being unhappy that his best friend wasn't here.

Sadly for him, the school teachers had noticed that he was always with Magnus or interacted with the other kids only for him, to help him to fit in, and that he kept doing so only and mostly because of Magnus. It wasn't good so Alec got forced to socialize.

He didn't mind but wouldn't have mind either to be left alone. He grumpily stared at Mrs Bean who held his gaze and walked toward Ms Wood around who everyone had gathered for an activity.

Magnus was just very late.

Alec turned around when he heard his voice and immediately got more worried when he saw his face. He had puffy eyes, his eyes were red, bringing out the green of his eyes. He had cried and a lot. He quietly sat next to him, just like that, while Alec stared at him. At first, he had been excited to tell him about how better he was now at archery but he totally forgot and only looked at him while Ms Wood carried on her speech about what they had to do to save the Earth and the environment by being environmentally responsible.

Magnus sniffled which made Alec glance at him with concern. He warily glanced at Ms. Wood who was talking and leaned towards him.

''Why did you cry?'' he whispered.

Magnus stared at him with teary eyes but shed no tears. ''Marie-Antoine is dead,'' he mumbled with a sniff.

Alec blinked and frowned. Marie-Antoinette was dead? The last time he had seen her she was happily swimming and had really liked the submarine they had made. Magnus explained in a whisper that he had found her on the floor this morning when he wanted to watch a cartoon and eat. He had put her back into the fountain and wasn't that worried to not see her move like the others and remain idle on the surface of the water.

Until he heard his dad. Thinking that he had done something bad, Magnus had hastened to explain that he had found her on the floor so Mr Bane had to tell him that fishes couldn't live out of water and that Marie-Antoinette was dead.

He had shed a tear in front of the lifeless body of the beautiful carp who had killed herself for an unknown reason. They had organized the memorial service this morning in the garden where they had buried her. That could explain why Magnus was dressed in black, he was in mourning.

''Why did she kill herself?'' Alec asked while wondering if she was really this bored in the fountain for having wanted to explore the outside world.

Magnus shrugged, he didn't know and his parents either.

Death was scary. Alec had asked his father not so long ago about it, and as he had been really worried and on verge of tears after imagining everyone dead around him, his mother had hastened to explain that it was normal and that he didn't have to think about it. Church wasn't that old and was still healthy, -''so are we,'' had said his father to lighten the mood-, and Izzy was way too young to die.

He shouldn't think about it but now he got again terribly worried.

Magnus frowned when he saw him expressionless and tongue-tied. ''Dad said that it's part of life, even if it makes you cry, you can't do anything about that...Do you want a hug?'' he seriously asked, despite being the one who needed one.

Alec nodded and Magnus hugged him. ''I'll miss Marie-Antoinette,'' he mumbled against his ear with a sigh. ''She was the prettiest.''

Alec patted his back, he didn't remember what looked like Marie-Antoinette. Magnus seemed to feel better after this comforting hug that had been more for Alec than for him but his eyes were still red and puffy, and he stayed in a sad mood all day long.

It was weird to see him like this and Alec didn't know what to do, especially at lunch when Magnus discovered in his lunchbox potatoes and fish. He didn't cry but couldn't eat as Chaph had said that maybe it was Marie-Antoinette.

''I buried her this morning,'' weakly protested Magnus, mortified at the idea that his parents had lied to him and wanted him to eat her.

Alec hastened to give him his blueberry yogurt to prevent any tears. It worked, Magnus silently ate his dessert and Alec's one while staring at the white flesh in his box.

''I'll never eat fish ever again,'' he mumbled before giving his meal to someone, after having eaten all the potatoes while Alec was quietly drinking.

He didn't know what to say so he remained silent which worried Magnus. ''Did Izzy break your bow?'' he asked with concern.

Alec blinked. ''No, she's nice now and mom is protecting it with my arrows.''

Magnus frowned. ''Why are you sad then?''

''Because you are,'' Alec genuinely replied.

A little smile curved Magnus' lips but he pinched his arm. ''Don't be sad,'' he scolded him. ''Because it makes me sad that you're sad and you're sad because of me and Marie-Antoinette, so it makes me even more sadder.''

Alec, who was rubbing the painful area on his arm, narrowed his eyes.

''You know, I'm thinking about making a pemakaman,'' he said very seriously.

Alec frowned. ''A what?''

''Pemakaman.''

And then, Magnus seemed to realize that he hadn't use the good language and was obviously looking for the right word.

''Pekuburan?'' he suggested with a frown.

''What's that?'' Alec asked.

Magnus struggled quite some time to find the word in English. ''Where you bury someone.''

''A grave?''

''I want to make many of them because if Marie-Antoinette is dead it means that Mary Curry, Einstein and all the others carps will soon be dead, so next time we'll have to dig their...what's the word ?''

''Grave.''

''Like this it'll be ready when they'll die,'' Magnus concluded with a nod.

Alec didn't dare to say that he didn't want to dig an entire graveyard for the carps and remained silent before remembering that he had to smile a little if he didn't want Magnus to be even more sad because he was sad.

As soon as he got home, Alec tried to find Church to hug him, just in case he would suddenly die and to apologize for what had happened this morning. He managed to find him in his parents' room, lying on his belly on the huge bed. The cat quickly straightened up when he saw him walk in and narrowed his amber eyes.

The little boy quickly moved and trapped the suspicious cat into his arm for a quick hug. He slightly rubbed his cheek against his fluffy fur and released him as he didn't like being pet. Then, he left while Church followed him with his orange and narrowed gaze.

*

The day after, Alec brought back Magnus' pterodactyl as he no longer needed it and felt slightly better about his dragon who could still lead his army in his state but before he made sure that the  _Archery lessons for Alec_  was still on the fridge.

Robert rolled his eyes whenever he checked that it was still here and he did a lot of time since his mother had stuck the little paper against the fridge door.

Magnus didn't look that happy to see his pterodactyl and Alec had forgotten that he found him slightly scary.

''I wouldn't be mad if you had kept him,'' he said. ''Like this your dragon would have a best friend to keep him company.''

Alec hadn't thought about that, so he kept him for good, this way the pterodactyl would be for his dragon what Magnus was for him. He didn't look sad anymore and was way more cheerful than yesterday and didn't mention at all Marie-Antoinette's death. Yet, Alec hesitated to talk about how better he was now at archery, he no longer scared anyone at home and could be randomly precise.

Magnus looked impressed when he told him and stared at him with amazement but it embarrassed greatly Alec who looked away to see that the schoolteachers had gathered in front of the board. He immediately sat, pulled Magnus' arm to make him sit as well but the latter didn't care and wanted to know how exactly great he was at archery, so he almost sat on him to be as close as possible.

Alec smiled and pushed him before crossing his legs but Magnus had decided to cling to him with a wide smile before yawning noisily.

''I began to dig a grave for the other carps,'' he casually said before rubbing one of his eyes. ''My dad wasn't happy but I had time to write their name on stones, it's almost ready.''

''Why he wasn't happy?'' asked Alec with a frown as it was very nice of Magnus to have prepared the future graves of the koi carps.

Magnus shrugged. ''You'll show me how you shoot at people?''

''I can't, I can only aim at the target my dad drew.''

Magnus tightened his grip around him like a koala on a tree and didn't let him go, not even when Ms. Wood told him that Alec probably didn't like it, which wasn't the case at all, but he finally did because he wanted to draw, releasing Alec who could finally move.

Obviously, his drawing was more interesting for him and Magnus didn't listen at all at to what were saying the schoolteachers. Alec stiffened to hide him behind him but he knew that it was inefficient as Ms. Taccarro regularly watched in their direction.

Magnus wasn't the only one who wasn't paying attention to them in fact. Alec wasn't either, the head full of archery, Church, his dragon. He finally glanced at what Magnus was drawing and could recognize two little boys : one was dressed like Robin Hood, with a bow and arrows, dark-haired and with blue eyes whereas the other one had a darker skin tone and yellow slanted eyes.

Alec smiled which made Magnus look up.

''It's you,'' he whispered. ''You won and I'm watching you,'' he added while showing himself.

''What did I win?'' whispered back Alec.

''A dragon,'' he said before beginning to draw a dragon that looked nothing like a real dragon.

Alec frowned before trying to focus on what the teachers were saying.

To celebrate the end of the year, they would have to act in a little play in front of their family. Everyone looked excited, especially when Mrs. Bean said that it would be inspired by Alice in Wonderland. She quickly explained the story, a little girl who got lost into an imaginary world after having fallen into a rabbit hole because she had been too curious to see where was going a strange rabbit holding a watch and saying that he was late.

It was a strange story indeed and Alec wasn't really into it. Magnus immediately looked up when he heard that there would be a cat, all ears, whereas Alec got pretty confused when he heard that there would be characters that sounded rather crazy.

Everyone was excited while he wasn't, he was at least the only one who didn't pretend to like it. He didn't get their enthusiasm and got anxious, especially when everyone around him -even Magnus- raised their hand to be picked for this or that role.

Magnus didn't really have to raise his hand to play the Cheshire Cat as he got immediately chosen thanks to his yellowish-green eyes and his smile, perfect for the role. He hastened to give to him his drawing before standing up to go and sit where those who already had a role were sitting.

Alec smiled when he saw what looked like the dragon and lengthily stared at the  _ALEC AND MAGNUS_  that Magnus had written between two clouds. He had to admit that the bow and the arrows looked awesome, like his Robin Hood costume, but Magnus really looked creepy in the drawing, watching him shoot an arrow. He thoroughly studied the drawing and once satisfied carefully folded it to put it inside one of his pockets before looking up and exchanging a smile with him.

Summer had been chosen to play Alice, which made Magnus roll his eyes, as she still liked him a lot. She sat next to him with a wide grin while James, who really liked her, glared at Magnus and at her for liking him.

Alec winced when he saw that he was the only one who still hadn't voiced which role he wanted to play.

''None,'' he mumbled as he really didn't want to have any role.

All the good ones and the main cast had already been chosen, only remained the second roles or even the decoration like the trees, the flowers and a bright little sun. Alec had secretly hoped that there would be no roles left for him but Mrs. Bean was thinking about absolutely everything and was patiently waiting for him to make his choice.

Alec didn't want to go on stage but he didn't have the choice and remained silent while staring at his teacher. Magnus glanced at him with concern while Ms. Wood and Ms. Taccarro were already explaining to them what they would have to do.

Mrs. Bean sighed. ''So a tree or a sun ?''

Alec couldn't imagine himself standing there, brightly smiling with a yellow thing wrapped around his face to make him look like a sun, but he couldn't see himself as a tree either. He slowly shook his head, petrified, imploring Mrs. Bean with his eyes.

She apparently couldn't imagine him as a bright little sun either. ''You'll be a tree then,'' she firmly said as if it was better than nothing. ''You're not cheerful enough to be a bright little sun anyway,'' she added with a sigh while taking him to the table where everyone had gathered.

Alec stared at her and immediately frowned, feeling his chest tightened by her words. She was right but he couldn't help feeling hurt by the fact that he wasn't cheerful enough to be a bright little sun. He didn't had the time to feel relieved about being a tree for the play, thinking about what she had said with the impression that he wasn't good enough and therefore couldn't have really chosen.

He wouldn't have mind being a tree if she really had wanted him to be so, even if he didn't feel comfortable about it. She had spoiled something, he was now more reluctant than ever to go on stage even if he had to.

He would just be a tree anyway.

He quickly sat next to Magnus, quietly, and didn't smile back at him which made him frown.

''What's wrong?''

Alec sighed. ''I don't want to be a tree,'' he mumbled.

Magnus didn't seem to understand that it wasn't because being a tree would be terribly boring and lame but because he didn't want to be involved in the play as it frightened him a lot. He glanced at him to see that he looked disappointed that their roles wouldn't have the same importance and that they wouldn't be really together on stage either.

Magnus' pout deepened. ''I want to be a tree then,'' he loudly claimed.

But no, everyone wanted him to be the Cheshire Cat. He was perfect for the role. Now, even him was reluctant to play in front of everyone if Alec wasn't on stage with him. Ms. Wood had to explain than Alec would be there, as a tree, from the beginning to the end, which made the latter's eyes widen in fear.

The tree was more important than he had thought and he didn't want to stand for so long in the background, even if it would be fun to watch the other play in front of him.

Magnus calmed down, relieved that Alec would finally be near and through the whole play.

While those who had a more important role and lines were practicing, Alec began to make his costume out of cardboard. He wasn't the only one who would act as a decoration for the background but was the only one who didn't seem so unhappy about it. He was just and still hurt about the  _not cheerful enough_ but the kids gathered to play the scenery had a thing in common: they weren't good enough to play the main roles and even the secondary ones.

Ms. Taccarro, who had to help them with their costumes, tried her best to cheer them up but only Sarah was enthusiastic about making her flower costume. There would be two flowers, a tree, a sun, and a lot of cardboard.

Alec glanced at Theo who would be the sun for the play, wondering if he was much cheerful than him. He probably was usually but right now, he wasn't and was glaring at the little pair of scissors in his hand. Ms. Toccarro heaved a sigh when she put the paint in front of them.

He was the only, let alone Sarah, who was seriously making his costume as the other side of the classroom was noisy and drew their attention. Alec looked up to see that Magnus seemed to have a lot of fun, he was definitely cheerful and bright, they all were, except him.

 _He's cheerful, she is too, he's bright, she's bright too,_  he began to think while looking at each of his classmates before sighing, wishing to be as cheerful as them. In the drawing Magnus had made for him, he looked cheerful but only because he was smiling. Having a smiling face was obviously the key to cheerfulness and Alec knew that he didn't smile all the time and not as much as Magnus or Izzy for example. His parents always said that he was serious and mature, he had to, he was a big brother and had to set a good example for his little sister.

Alec blinked when he received paint all over his face and stared at Theo who seemed rather surprised to have been clumsy enough to spill paint everywhere. Sarah seemed to find this blunder awesome and with her brush, dripping with red paint, sprayed them with a wide smile. Maybe Alec had hoped that he would be spared but he got some on him and looked down at his sweater with a frown. His mom wouldn't be happy and would scold him for that.

It was only when he saw that there was red paint on his cardboard, which was supposed to be the trunk that he reacted and bent over to protect his costume. Luckily for him, Ms. Taccarro quickly returned, or rather focused on them again, to stop them before scolding each of them for the mess they had done.

Alec scowled when she separated them to put them at each corner of the classroom. He quietly sat on the chair and was wondering whether he was punished or not but it didn't seem to be the case as she gave him back his cardboard with the brow and green paints. When he looked up, Magnus was staring at him on the other side before making a funny face for Ms. Taccarro. Alec's lips curved into a little smile. Magnus then brightly smiled at him before waving his hand and focused again on Mrs Bean and Ms Wood.

He wasn't envious of them but wished to be with Magnus and knew that he couldn't because he wasn't cheerful enough. He frowned as it still bothered him and lengthily and blankly stared at his brush that he dipped into the glass of water in front of him and stirred.

He tried to draw a bow, which looked more like a triangle and arrows here and there before covering them with three big strokes of brown paint to hide them when Ms. Toccarro came closer to see how he was doing. Maybe she also thought that he wasn't cheerful enough, thought Alec who watched her dip her brush into the glass of water to help him to finish faster.

She smiled, Alec didn't smile back.

 

After a chaotic simulation, Magnus discovered that he had been tricked, as Alec had to stand far from him like the tree he was. Displeased, he had been a grumpy and reluctant Cheshire Cat while Alec realized that being a tree wasn't that bad actually and so much less frightening that he had thought. He just had to stand in the back without moving while watching the others having fun. With a bit of luck, maybe he could hide the D-day and nobody would notice that he wouldn't be here, except Magnus who would sulk if he ever did that.

He winced and glanced at him when Mrs. Bean informed them that they could invite whoever they wanted to see the final performance. Magnus, all ears, looked pretty excited and brightly smiled at him.

''Your mom will take a lot of pictures,'' said Alec who didn't want to be forever a tree in a picture.

Magnus didn't realize that and frowned with a slight wince. ''It's okay,'' he finally stated. ''I'll be awesome so I don't mind.''

Alec wouldn't be awesome so he minded, he seriously hoped that Mrs Bane wouldn't find him cute enough to be taken in pictures. Magnus really seemed to love his role: a really smart cat, who seemed slightly mad and who did as he pleased.

''Cats are smart,'' he added and Alec could only agree, Church was really smart.

''I didn't know this story,'' he went on. ''Mrs. Bean said that it's really famous.''

''You don't know a lot of things.''

Magnus frowned. ''I know a lot of things, not that, but a lot of other things,'' he protested.

''Like what?''

Magnus looked up and narrowed his eyes intensely concentrate. ''I know how to dig graves, how to fly a helicopter, how to feed fishes, how to speak English. I know a lot of things,'' he declared with a satisfied nod.

Alec smiled and tried to remember whether his parents had ever read this story to Izzy and him, it seemed oddly familiar but unknown in the same time.

He had to ask his parents or Hodge if they had read this story to his sister and him but it meant that he had to tell them that there would be a play and that he would be tree, which would be quite terrible for him.

 _Not cheerful enough to be a bright little sun,_ this sentence was consuming him and he was clearly affected by those words he wished to never have heard. He still tried his best to not show anything but he had forgotten that Magnus was perceptive, which explained why he spent the few hours left before the end of the day to tease him.

Magnus was worse than his parents, and especially his mom, when they wanted a kiss, a hug, or an affectionate gesture, worse than Izzy when she wanted to play and to be hugged, and worse than Church when he suddenly followed him and cuddled with him until he had enough.

Alec didn't react and ignored him as best as he could despite being tickled while he was trying to figure out how he would give the green little paper announcing the kindergarten play to his parents.

''Where did you put my drawing?'' suddenly asked Magnus.

''In my pocket.''

''Which one?''

''I don't remember.''

''I'll tickle you,'' he threatened him.

''My right pocket,'' hastened to say Alec with a posture of self-defense when he heard the word  _tickle_.

''Keep it preciously,'' he seriously said.

Alec intended to do that.

While everyone was telling their moms and dads proudly and with excitation about the play at the end of the year, Alec was desperately trying to pull his mother by the hand outside the schoolyard to prevent her from hearing anything about it. But no, she wanted to greet Magnus' mom and Magnus, which she did, and luckily for him, with her hand that she waved at them.

She seemed to be in a hurry and Alec didn't mind as she didn't even bother to ask him about his day as she usually did. This way, he didn't have to talk at all. He glanced one last time at Mrs. Bean and left with relief as this day had been quite difficult for him.

The car was parked in a red zone just in front of the school and Izzy was waiting for them, the face stuck against the window. She smiled as soon as she saw them and waved at Alec with a lollipop.

''I've been good,'' she proudly and loudly said when Alec sat next to her.

Their mom stared at her while helping him to fasten his seat belt. ''I only left you for three seconds, it would have been really amazing if you had done something.''

''Alec doesn't have a lollipop,'' she noticed.

''Do you want a lollipop?'' Maryse asked before trying to fix his hair.

''No.''

''Did you have a good day?'' she finally asked after settling herself into the driver sit.

''We're going home?'' asked Izzy.

''Yes we're going home, Alec?''

Alec shrugged and Izzy began to hum a song about a very yummy lollipop. She was indeed bright and cheerful and he couldn't help looking at her out of the corner of the eye to see how she was doing to be like this. He heaved a sigh, it was impossible after all. When he looked up, his mom was staring at him through the rearview mirror.

''Did you have a fight with Magnus?''

He frowned. ''No,'' he said.

''With another friend?''

''No.''

''What's wrong then?''

He scowled as she didn't want to leave him alone with his worries about the school play. But he had to tell her about it and he didn't really want to. Actually, he intended to do so. He didn't feel this great and needed some comfort through a hug or something like that to make him feel better. He was hurt and he could feel a heaviness in his chest that burdened him.

They quickly got home and while his mom was taking his schoolbag, he hastened to take his shoes off to not be here when she'll see the green little paper, besides he had to preciously put away Magnus' drawing. He raced with Izzy and let her win. She let out a victorious squeal when she reached the playroom first and quickly grabbed her sword and Mushu before leaving.

After making sure that his bow, arrows, dragon, puzzle box and all his belongings were still undamaged, Alec took his Charmander to put in his belly pocket the drawing made by Magnus. It was a secret hideout, which already contained some of his toys.

''What are you doing?'' asked Maryse behind him.

''I'm hiding Magnus' drawing.''

His mother snorted. ''It won't be hidden anymore if you tell me where it is, you didn't give him back his pterodactyl?''

Alec looked up. ''He gave it to me, like this my dragon won't be lonely.''

Then, he noticed in her hand the little green paper and he pursed his lips with a frown. He wasn't ready to talk about it but his mom looked rather enthusiastic at the idea that he would be in the kindergarten play.

''Which role did you get?'' she asked.

Alec, as silent as a grave, stared at her before looking away.

She frowned. ''You didn't get any?''

He was stubbornly looking at his Charmander, waiting for her to have enough and to leave him alone.

''You don't like your role? It's written that everyone is part of the play.''

''I'm a tree,'' he mumbled without daring to look at her straight in the eyes.

''A tree?''

Alec glanced up to see that she seemed confused, trying to remember if there was a character like this in the book.

''Did you want to be a tree?'' she asked again with a frown while kneeling down to take him in her arms when she saw his face.

He shook his head and accepted to be held. ''I didn't want to be part of the play,'' he grumbled.

''That's why you're a tree?''

''No,'' he reluctantly said. ''It's because there was nothing left.''

She stroked his back, looking slightly disappointed, but kissed his forehead. ''What about your friends?'' she murmured against his hair.

''Magnus is the cat, Summer is Alice, Chaph is the crazy man with a hat, Sarah is a flower, Theo the sun,'' and he went on until he had said everyone's name.

''Magnus will be the Cheshire Cat?'' she asked with a smile while releasing him.

Alec nodded and grabbed his bow.

''I can't wait to see you as a little tree.''

He frowned and stared at her to see that she was trying hard to not laugh. ''It's not funny, it's sad,'' he scolded her. ''Mom, don't come, you're not invited,'' he went on with a scowl. ''Dad neither.''

She got up with this weird expression that pursed her lips into a smile-wince and quickly left to see what Izzy was doing. Alec could distinctly hear her telling her that they would have to go to his school play at the end of the year.

Izzy looked pretty excited that Alec would be a tree, more than he was at least, and went to see him to ask what he had to do to be like a tree. Actually nothing. To be a tree, he just had to stand without moving at all, straight, as if the top of his branches could touch the sky.

Alec couldn't understand her excitation, it was undeniably a secret that only cheerful people shared. He showed her how to stand still, Izzy tried her best, against the wall in the corridor, but it was hard and boring.

It wasn't that hard and boring for Alec who carefully explained that he didn't have much to do like this and that he could watch the others this way. Izzy stared at him and sighed before asking him to play with her. She needed a horse.

He followed her in the living room and glanced at their mom who was in the kitchen. Church was next to her, waiting for some pieces of food to fall. His throat tightened as he moved closer, thinking once again at the  _not cheerful enough to be a bright little sun_. The note with the  _Archery lessons for Alec_  was still here but for once, he didn't check it out.

Maryse smiled when she saw him whereas Church moved his tail and blinked. ''It's not ready yet, if you want to eat you can take a yogurt.''

Alec took a deep breath and squeezed his sweater at the belly level. ''Mom,'' he could only said with nervousness at the mere idea of revealing  _why_  he would be a tree.

''Hmm?''

''I'm not cheerful,'' he stated as if it was a terrible disease.

His mom gazed at him with a raised eyebrow. ''You're not cheerful?'' she repeated.

Alec held her gaze waiting for a real reaction, he didn't know which one to expect but something more significant.

''Where did you hear that?''

Alec remained silent.

''Someone told you that you weren't cheerful?''

''That's why I'm a tee,'' he admitted with a sulk.

''Who told you this ?'' she firmly asked with a stern face.

Luckily for him, Izzy got impatient. ''Alec !''

Church narrowed his eyes and suddenly ran away to hide somewhere. Alec also wanted to slip away but his mother grabbed his arm with a worried frown.

''Alec, did one of your teacher say that you weren't cheerful enough to have another role than a tree?''

He blinked and tried to free himself but she was firmly holding him.

''Answer me.''

''No,'' he lied.

She peered at him, trying to find out whether he was lying or not, and finally ran a hand through his hair and his face, which made him frown.

''You can be cheerful, no one is cheerful all the time, and if you're not it doesn't mean that you're not as good as someone else, do you understand?''

Alec glanced up, comforted by her words that he had wished to hear. She stroked his cheek before pinching it and loudly kissed him.

''Cheerful or not, I love you and I really can't wait to see you on stage, even as a tree,'' she whispered against his ear.

She kissed him one last time and Alec rolled his eyes but he felt better. The heavy sensation in his chest was gone, replaced by a warm feeling that unburdened him. She had soothed him and he quickly hugged her for a very short time to thank her but she was like an octopus. Her arms-tentacles wrapped around him to hug him even more tightly for a big and long hug.

''Mom,'' he grumbled. ''Stop it.''

She didn't release him and Izzy joined them. Alec was surrounded by cuddly octopuses.

Robert came home very late with a bouquet of pretty flowers. Izzy straightened up in her chair and eyed at the flowers with a frown while Alec was wondering why he suddenly gave flowers to their mom.

''Happy birthday,'' automatically crooned Izzy before taking a spoon of strawberry yogurt.

Alec frowned, her birthday was in summer. Maryse looked surprised, so surprised that she suspiciously stared at her husband.

''What did you do?''

Alec also wondered what he did and was carefully listening but they didn't say much and only stared at each other for some time in silence before sharing one kiss.

''Ew,'' Izzy said after dropping her spoon to cover her eyes with her hands.

Alec winced and glanced one last time at his father who looked really tired before hastening to finish his yogurt as he didn't want to be here when they would talk about his school play. He went into his room and frowned when he saw Church on his bed. He had to hide but where ? He already knew that his dad wouldn't be happy at all about him being a tree.

Church yawned and stared at him, following his every move, while Alec was sitting next to him after taking an illustrated book on the shelf. Church moved closer for more warmth.

Alec didn't have the time to read, his father suddenly came in, looking unhappy.

''You'll be a tree?'' he asked with a frown.

Alec could tell that his father didn't seem that happy about him being a tree. He just didn't know that the unhappy expression that he was seeing on his face was a very disappointed one. He obviously wanted him to shine but Alec wasn't bright enough. He nodded and stared at his hands. He no longer minded about being a tree until he saw how unhappy they all were to learn that he would be unnoticeable, hidden behind everyone, insignificant.

''I didn't want to have any role,'' he mumbled. ''And I'm not cheerful enough to play something else.''

Given than his father was silently looking at him in the doorway, Alec glanced up and suddenly wondered if being a tree wouldn't jeopardize his future archery lessons. He hadn't thought about that. He anxiously stared at him, ready to cry if he needed to, it would be for a great cause.

''I still want to have archery lessons when I'll be older,'' he murmured.

Robert blinked. ''Yes, I know, I didn't forget. Do your best in your school play, even the insignificant roles are important, that's what they say.''

Hurt, Alec looked at his hands once again and sighed. He was relieved that he was still entitled to have archery lessons.

His father suddenly moved closer to ruffle his hair, his gesture was so unexpected that it made him flinch and scowl. Especially when he got kissed on the cheek. Why did they all have to kiss or hug him? he grumpily wondered.

''I'm too tired to read you a story tonight, you'll have to ask mom and if you hurry you can choose the book for once,'' he lowly said before putting his other hand on his left cheek and squeezing his face.

Alec glared at him when he saw him laugh. ''Good night,'' he mumbled.

Robert quickly stroked Church's fur who narrowed his eyes -but not in a please way- and left. Alec sighed with relief and hurried to find his mom to ask her about the book for tonight. Followed by Church, Alec bumped into her in the corridor.

''Perfect,'' she said while taking him into the bathroom for a shower.

''Mom why dad gave you flowers?''

''Because he loves me,'' she answered in an obvious tone. ''Do you want me to read  _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_? It's been a while since I've read it and Izzy needs to hear another story than  _Bunny the witch_.''

She clearly wanted to read this story so Alec, after gazing at her, didn't dare to protest despite having a book in mind and resignedly began to undress for his shower.

Comfortably lying on his bed, he was still waiting for Izzy and their mom, Church nestled against his shoulder was also waiting for them and especially for the story. Alec frowned and straightened up when he heard a thud, Izzy's cries, and the angry voice of their mother.

He heaved a sigh, he wasn't sure that he would hear the real story of Alice and he was beginning to feel really tired. He yawned and heard footsteps that were coming closer and closer. Izzy suddenly barged in, half-naked with a big bump on the forehead.

''I'm ready for the story,'' she claimed before jumping on her brother's bed.

Both him and Church threw at her an annoyed glance.

''Mom's coming,'' she added before hugging Church and cuddling him.

She arrived after a while, all clean, ready to go to bed. ''Where's your pajama Izzy?'' she sighed while closing the door, a book in her hand.

''If you don't get dressed she won't read a story,'' Alec whispered.

While she was complaining and after she got off his bed, Alec took the opportunity to spread, recovering the place that she had stolen earlier.

Even though, his dad was better at telling stories because he used many different voices, Alec preferred his mother. She was more comfortable and it felt better just to snuggle against her. Izzy, without any consideration for him, sat on him to be as close as possible to their mother who finally settled in.

With a glare, Alec pushed her and had to sit on the other side of the bed.

''Why do you still read a book for children?'' he asked while resting his head on her chest.

Indeed, she was so much more comfortable than their father and smelled way better than him.

''It's not only for children, I've read it for the first time in high school for an assignment,'' she softly said.

The book was damaged and when she went through the pages, he could see some scribbles here and there and some sentences had been highlighted in yellow, green, blue and pink.

She cleared her throat once they were comfortably settled against her. ''Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do : once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversation in it, and 'what is the use of a book', thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversation ?'''

Izzy was staring at their mom, the mouth slightly opened, and Alec muffled his laugh against her bathrobe. Church stepped over their legs to finally settle on Maryse's lap to fully enjoy the story.

He liked it so far, even if he didn't get everything it sounded nice. He had to wait the chapter six for the Cheshire Cat to appear on a tree, grinning. There was a tree here and he couldn't help feeling extremely happy that Magnus would be the cat.

He smiled when Alice got invited to a mad tea party and frowned when she got in trouble and was almost beheaded by the annoying king and queen of hearts. He looked up at his mother, dumbfounded, when she read the last part where Alice woke up.

At first, he had thought that the school play was nothing as amazing as the story she had read but now his head was full of incomprehension. He glanced at Izzy who was half-asleep and who didn't seem to mind about the ending.

''It's not real?'' he asked.

''It was all in her head,'' she clarified. ''Her sister woke her up from her dream.''

Alec's frown deepened, frankly unhappy with the ending. ''So they don't exist at all?''

''Only in her imagination.''

Izzy yawned and stroked Church while she explained to them that there was a lot of things to learn from this book. Every hardship could become a strength and make someone grow, every journey had to begin slowly and with a small step and came to an end eventually, everyone had a story to tell, everyone had his own reality, some people were crazier and there was not supposed to have a normal label, curiosity killed the cat and it was important to grow and to become a better version of ourselves.

Alec stared at his mom with confusion, he hadn't understood everything and he still couldn't overcome the fact that Alice had dreamed all along and that everything had just been a dream. Just a dream.

''What would you do if you saw a white rabbit?'' Maryse seriously asked while petting Church.

''I'll follow him,'' answered Alec straight away.

Izzy didn't answer, too sleepy to think about it.

''Alec,'' she sighed. ''That's the point, you'll never see a white rabbit like this,'' she whispered while straightening up to carry Izzy into her own bed. ''Nobody would follow a rabbit.''

Alec frowned. He knew someone who would follow a white rabbit. ''Hodge would,'' he whispered before lifting his sheets, ready to sleep.

''Hodge is an exception.''

''Why?''

She didn't answer and after tucking Izzy in, moved towards him to do the same.

''I like this story even if I didn't understand everything,'' he whispered when she kissed his forehead.

''Me too there's a lot of things that I still don't understand,'' she admitted. ''Good night.''

Alec wrapped his arms around her neck and dropped a kiss on her cheek. He wanted to hear this story again and again until he fully understood everything. His mother finally left with Church in her arms, she turned the light off and let the door half open as usual.

He glanced at Izzy who was now sound asleep and turned over to face the wall. This all play thing had distracted him from archery and he felt bad about it. Mrs. Bean's words were still imprinted in his mind and still burned more than they should have.

As soon as he thought about the day after where they would all have to rehearse what they still hadn't learned he winced and wished for the day of the performance to never come. Besides, it looked nothing like the book at all. Mrs. Bean, Ms. Wood and Ms. Taccarro were all wrong and obviously hadn't read it.

Before closing his eyes, he thought one last time about the White Rabbit. He would definitely follow one to live the same adventures as Alice, even if his mom disagreed.

*

Today was a very sad day, far from being a Frabjous one. It was the D-day, the dreadful day where Alec had to be a tree in front of the parents, gathered to see their offspring. Luckily for him, Hodge, who had wanted to see his performance, was travelling somewhere in Africa. He wished his parents had done the same. Only Izzy was welcomed to see him, he couldn't really explain why if not that she didn't want him to play a more important role and was more excited than he was, which he hoped would slightly make him more cheerful.

It would be a disaster, with all due respect to his schoolteachers who suddenly had wanted all of them to sing and dance.

Alec was already ugly in his ugly costume and didn't want to worsen everything with that. It made Magnus laugh whenever he pretended to sing just by moving his lips without any sound. Himself didn't bother to sing in tune but he was still singing -or rather cawing- to please the schoolteachers. He was more into dancing anyway and each time he did it was Alec's turn to laugh.

Everyone was excited, too excited for Alec, who was now terribly nervous at the idea to be on stage. They all were waiting backstage and he wanted to stay here until the end of the play, even if he was just a tree.

The theater was huge and noisy with all the relatives gathered to see them. Alec wanted to hide in a hole and stay here forever. His costume, a cardboard painted like a tree, wasn't comfortable and prevented him from moving like he wanted. Magnus' smile widened.

''Alec is scared,'' he said in a singsong voice.

Alec ignored him and was wondering if he could disappear inside his costume like a turtle. It could make a nice hideout.

''It'll be fun,'' tried to reassure him his friend.

Alec narrowed his eyes. ''For you not for me.''

Especially because Magnus was wearing a nice costume and had make-up on to highlight his eyes and to make him look like a cat. He was beautiful, more beautiful than Summer, Sarah and the other girls.

His hair-band with purple cat ears slid on his forehead, making him sigh and he almost tripped on the long striped tail tied around his waist. Alec, who was staring at him for quite some time, finally smiled.

''Alec,'' Magnus suddenly and solemnly said with a frown that made Alec frown as well. ''Summer kissed me on the mouth.''

Alec's frown deepened, when did it happen? He hadn't seen anything. ''Why?'' he asked, slightly disgusted, as only the adults could kiss each other on the mouth.

Magnus shrugged and rubbed his mouth.

Alec looked around, trying to spot Summer and her blonde hair in the darkness of the corridor where they were waiting.

''Then, you'll have to marry her.''

Magnus blinked and looked horrified. ''No!''

''You kissed,'' Alec reminded him.

''I didn't want to kiss her,'' Magnus protested with imploring eyes. ''And we didn't make babies,'' he added with worry as if he wasn't very sure.

''How do you know?'' Alec asked and, as Magnus remained silent, went on: ''It's too late anyway marry her.''

The thought of having to marry Summer seemed to terrify Magnus -who was already shocked to have been kissed-. He blinked, his chin quivered and under Alec's wide eyes began to cry.

''I don't want to marry her,'' he sobbed while rubbing his eyes and his tears, which removed his make-up and made his hair-band fall backwards.

Dumbfounded and because he hadn't seen him cry for a while and only for his nightmares, Alec blankly stared at him.

''And...and...and you're...you're so mean,'' he wailed before crying louder, his entire body shook by his sobs.

''I'm not mean,'' Alec weakly protested, still dumbfounded to have made him cry.

He didn't know that it wasn't only his words that had made him cry but the pressure and the presence of all these people around them that had stressed out a lot Magnus who hadn't shown anything despite being extremely nervous and scared.

Magnus grumpily eyed at him. ''You're mean,'' he insisted before sniffling.

''No!''

''You are otherwise you wouldn't say that I have to marry her!'' he whined.

''Then don't marry her,'' Alec hastened to say.

''But we kissed,'' Magnus reminded him with a suspicious stare and teary eyes.

His face was a mess and Alec felt sorry to have destroyed everything with his words, especially when Magnus had been so pretty.

''I don't know,'' suddenly blurted out Alec, confused and scared that he no longer wanted to be his friend. ''You can marry whoever you want,'' he added to make up with him.

Magnus sniffled and wiped his runny nose and his cheeks with the same suspicious stare. ''You made me cry,'' he suddenly said with an accusatory tone.

''I'm sorry,'' immediately apologized Alec who could already imagine his life without Magnus and how angry Mrs Bane would be when she would learn that he had made her son cry. He wanted to hug him to apologize but his costume prevented him to do so. ''I'm very sorry,'' he sheepishly said.

Never again he would tell him to marry someone and never he would make him cry ever again, he promised.

Relieved, Magnus stopped being sullen. ''I forgive you,'' he solemnly said. ''Now we can hug.''

Alec wanted to protest but as soon as Magnus saw him open the mouth, his eyes narrowed.

''You don't want to hug me?'' he huffed, the arms ready.

They couldn't hug at all actually since an angry Mrs. Bean, who was looking for the tree, separated them which earned her a glare from Magnus who didn't have his hug. She scolded them because everyone was ready, the play about to start and Magnus had removed his makeup.

''On stage Alexander,'' she said in her most authoritative voice before taking Magnus to Ms Wood who was in charge of everyone's makeup.

''Alexander,'' Magnus teased him with a smirk.

Alec scowled and headed towards the scene with small steps. The red and heavy curtains were still closed, he could still see his classmates in the darkness, ready to perform. He walked towards Theo and Sarah, in the back, where those who were the background had to be.

He held back his breath and nervously squeezed his hands when he saw the red curtain rise.

It would be a disaster.

He had managed to hide behind Scott and Sarah and had noticed that he could do whatever he wanted on stage given that the schoolteachers’ sudden appearance among them would show the parents that something was wrong, which no one wanted.

It was better to do as if everything was going as planned, besides no one had really noticed that the tree wasn't where it was supposed to be.

The lights were blinding and he had to close his eyes before blinking but he still couldn't see distinctly the faces raised towards them among the darkness of the theater. It was frightening, Alec didn't even bother to wonder where his parents and Izzy where whereas Summer, Edgar, Chaph and almost everyone tried to spot their relatives, forgetting their lines and what they had to do.

Alec didn't have much to do if not standing here and joined the circle to sing and dance, which he didn't do. With the stress, the lights and this unfamiliar environment, he had totally forgotten what he had to do. He would remember forever the glare of Mrs. Bean when she saw him stay where he was instead of joining the others when he should have.

He heaved a sigh and looked down before suddenly raising his head when Magnus aka The Cheshire Cat appeared. There were some cheering and applause, a whistle, and Alec was pretty sure he had heard Mrs. Bane's voice.

Magnus waved his hand after having spotted his parents and a photoflash fired. Then, he turned around, smiled when he saw him and finally deigned to deliver his lines. Alec could see that Ms. Wood had added glitter on his face as his cheeks were glistening.

He was really pretty, so pretty that Summer stared at him without saying anything when she should have said something. James, the Caterpillar, stepped in when he shouldn't have and Mrs Bean had to officially barged in to prevent the destruction of her masterpiece.

At least, it had made some people laugh.

When they made a circle to sing and dance, Theo stayed with Alec in the back and didn't join them ignoring Ms. Taccarro's whispers behind them. He was a really sad sun, wasn't cheerful at all, and looked really bored.

Magnus sang surprisingly pretty well and Alec wondered if he didn't sing off-key all this time on purpose just to be silly or to make him comfortable about his singing skills. No matter what, Alec definitely had to hug him as soon as this mess ended.

From the beginning until the end, Alec had been a tree, unnecessary but which had to be here. And he did a pretty good job.

Finally, after the last song and last ridiculous dance, the play ended. Everyone had to gather to the forefront to bow in order to thank the spectators for being here. It was too much to handle for Alec who immediately wanted to run away, he almost did and his escape plan would have worked if Magnus hadn't grabbed his hand before taking him to the spotlight.

Alec would have pushed him away if he hadn't made him cry earlier. For now, as they didn't properly hug to reconcile he was still worried about their friendship and followed him. Magnus' hand was cold and tightly squeezed his when they had to bow. Alec didn't look up to see where his parents were but he definitely could hear Izzy who was trying to get his attention with her  _Alec !_

Magnus stayed away from Summer on purpose and clearly avoided to look at her. Surprisingly, Mrs Bean congratulated all of them despite some hiccups during the play but at least everyone had stayed on stage without any bathroom break.

Relieved to not be scolded and once backstage, Alec took off his uncomfortable costume and took his time, perfectly aware that Magnus was waiting for the healing hug. He had already removed his hair-band and his tail but had kept his make-up probably because he had forgotten that he had some on his face.

As soon as he was free from the cardboard, Magnus let out a relieved sigh and enthusiastically hugged him.

''I won't say to my mom that you made me cry,'' he whispered as if it was the greatest favour that could do a best friend.

Relieved because otherwise Mrs. Bane would have also made him cry, Alec nodded. The healing hug had done them some good and they were now officially reconciled.

Thanks to Magnus, they didn't get lost in the theater and could easily get to their families. They often bumped into each other, too close to properly walk without shoving or trip the other. The room where everyone had gathered to eat, talk about the cute play and to pick up their children was noisy and full.

Chaph was already here and eating and Magnus was nervously looking around to see if Summer was here, just in case she wanted to kiss him again. Mrs. Bane had noticed them and widely smiled before throwing herself at Magnus who got cuddled for being wonderful and photogenic.

Alec split away, he had spotted Izzy in her pretty dress and for once, she was behaving and was looking up at people with curiosity, the mouth slightly opened. He hadn't seen his mom, behind him, with food in her hands. He looked up with a frown when he felt someone stroking his hair. She slightly smiled and took him to his father and sister.

''Here you are,'' loudly said Robert.

Alec thought he was talking about the cakes and got slightly manhandled by his sudden embrace. Too tired to say anything, he could only growl and frown while Izzy was showing him the pretty flowers that he could see very well, on her dress.

''We couldn't take pictures,'' his father went on after releasing him, looking slightly disappointed. ''I could barely see you.''

''He hid himself on purpose,'' Maryse murmured with a slight frown.

Alec didn't really care that they were unhappy because they hadn't taken any pictures of him, who would want to be immortalized forever as a tree in a kindergarten play? His plan had worked and he was proud of himself. Yet, he could see on his mom's phone -a lot of pictures of Izzy of course- that they hadn't quite said the truth, he had been noticeable but not as much as they had wanted and not as much as the other kids, like Magnus for example.

But he had forgotten the Banes and their amazing paparazzi skills.

Izzy stared, in a daze, at Magnus and especially at the makeup he had on his face. She shyly raised her hand to touch his cheek and contentedly glanced at her hand, which had now some glitter on it. Magnus frowned before smiling at Alec who was trying to determine whether he had said to his mom that he had made him cry despite his promise.

Alec immediately noticed that people around them where looking at them and it wasn't because Mrs. Bane was pretty and because Mr. Bane was wearing a strange tie as usual. Actually not even his parents were that remarkable. They were just curious to know why they had adopted a child in Indonesia and was trying to catch an explanation with a glance to solve this mystery which wasn't one.

People were just curious sometimes and there wasn't always an explanation for this.

Alec felt his sister's little hand in his, now his hand would also be covered with glitter which made him frown in a displeased way. Happy to have contaminated him, Izzy proudly smiled before wiping her hand on him. While their parents were talking and showing to each other the pictures they had taken, they finally were allowed to eat, which Magnus did with enthusiast and with a hunger worthy of an ogre.

Nobody could imagine how relieved and how much happier he was that the play belonged to the past. Mrs. Bean narrowed her eyes when Alec, brightly smiling, was playing some game with all of his classmates, improvised by Ms. Wood who had agreed that Izzy also played. She was really excited and moved around too much for Alec who let go of her hand. Magnus didn't seem to mind and was still holding hers.

Then, came the moment to say goodbye to everyone. Ms. Wood explained that as it was the last day, some of them would never see each other again and would go to a different elementary school. Magnus immediately glanced with worry at Alec who did the same.

Izzy stared at them before widely smiling at Magnus. ''Bye-bye,'' she firmly said while waving her hand at him.

Alec didn't know if she was joking or not but he found it funny and did the same. ''Bye Magnus,'' he seriously said, trying his best not to smile.

It didn't make Magnus laugh or smile or even react. He stared at Alec straight in the eyes with an impassive face but his eyes narrowed in a displeased way.

''You already made me cry,'' he warned him.

''I was kidding,'' Alec clarified whereas Izzy shook her head, not concerned at all about the joke that wasn't one for her.

Magnus let go of Izzy's hand with a frown, as if he had burned himself, ready to sulk.

''Why did he cry?'' Izzy asked.

''He kissed Summer,'' Alec answered which earned him the glare of his best friend who had wanted to keep this a secret.

Izzy's eyes widened and she hid her giggles behind her hands. ''You have a girlfriend?'' she whispered.

''No,'' Magnus also whispered. ''And I didn't kiss her, she kissed me, and I don't want to marry her!''

Fascinated, Izzy stared at him and nodded as if she perfectly understood while Alec was looking around to see that everyone was hugging each other without shedding any tears. His parents weren't far and were still deep in conversation with Magnus' parents.

He blinked when he heard that Izzy was suggesting to Magnus to marry her. The latter seemed to seriously consider it.

''But you don't like me.''

''I like you less than Alec, dad, mom and Church but I still like you,'' Izzy protested.

Magnus narrowed his eyes. ''How much?''

Izzy showed the tiny space that she made with her thumb and forefinger. ''Like this.''

It was very small but better than nothing given Magnus' smile. ''Okay,'' he said. ''If I marry her I'll always be with you,'' he explained to Alec who was quietly staring at them, trying to figure things out.

Alec's frown deepened. ''But you don't like her,'' he noted.

Magnus shrugged as if it didn't matter this time while Alec was skeptically looking at him and at his little sister.

''Why do you want to marry him?'' he asked.

Izzy shrugged before firmly taking Magnus' hand. ''He'll be my horse.''

Magnus didn't seem to mind to be a horse as long as he was with Alec who was finally smiling, glad that they would be always together. Yet, he couldn't help feeling relieved when he came to know that Magnus and him would go to the same elementary school, which meant that he didn't have to marry Izzy who was now disappointed.

''I won't be your horse, sorry,'' apologized Magnus with a little smile.

''You can still be my husband,'' she insisted. ''I'll do your hair.''

Alec rolled his eyes and grabbed Magnus' hand before taking him somewhere where they would be alone.

''We have to say goodbye to everyone,'' reminded him Magnus who stopped him.

Alec shrugged, he didn't know to whom he had to say goodbye as he had heard from Mrs. Bane that some of their friends would go to the same school and that they didn't have to worry. He just didn't expect that Magnus would want to say goodbye to Mrs Bean and had to go with him.

Mrs. Bean was nice and Alec would have been happy to go to her if she hadn't said something about his non-existent cheerfulness. She was alone in the theater, on stage, clearing everything by herself. She seemed surprised to see them but happy in the same time.

''Goodbye Mrs. Bean,'' hastened to say Alec in one breath. ''Take care.''

Magnus nodded. ''Goodbye, don't be too sad.''

Her smile widened and she walked down the little stairs on the left to thank them. ''You're the only ones who came to see me.''

Alec glanced at Magnus while she was looking at them with kindness.

''Goodbye and take care,'' she said. ''And stay friends for a long time.''

That was what they intended to do.

''Keep smiling Magnus, don't forget to stay attentive and keep making your English better,'' she went on.

''I'll help him,'' Alec murmured.

Magnus rolled his eyes as he thought that his English was now perfect.

''And you Alec you have to learn to reach out to the others besides your friends,'' Mrs Bean stated while looking at him straight in the eyes. ''And you're quite stubborn, you know that ?''

Magnus smiled which earned him a glare from him. Fortunately, she didn't say anything about the play and took them to the room where everyone was. Saying goodbye wasn't that bad actually, he noted, except when Ms. Toccarro shed some tears which made Mrs Bean stare at her with a jaded look.

Tired, Alec rested his head against his mother leg while Magnus was doing the same. It was time to go home and Izzy was jumping everywhere.

Mrs. Bane stroked Magnus' hair. ''Anyway, we'll see each other soon, Alec didn't come over for awhile.''

Mr. Bane looked down at him, probably thinking about his dear fishes in the fountain, which always ended with an object at the bottom whenever Alec came over to play. The little boy smiled but it didn't lighten up Magnus' dad who kept staring at him resignedly at the thought of having him over.

''Don't forget to bring your bow,'' Magnus whispered.

Alec nodded, rubbing his cheek against his mother' pants and yawned, making Magnus' yawn as well.

**

Izzy was strangely quiet and wasn't eating her breakfast. She sighed and moved her spoon to draw something in her milk before heaving an umpteenth sigh. Alec was staring at her and had already finished to eat everything.

She had awoken him early this morning to ask him with worry what would happen if she couldn't make friends the first day. Alec had frowned, trying to remember if he had made friends and right away the first day of kindergarten.

''Magnus,'' had reminded him Izzy with a jaded look.

Right, Alec was too used to being friends with him to remember since when.

Until now, Izzy had always been excited and eager to go to school, like him, but it was obviously no longer the case at all since she had learned that she wouldn't be able to do whatever she wanted. She was concerned about not being able to make friends and no longer being with their mom as much as before.

With a pout, she glanced at their father who left in a hurry and angrily slammed the front door. Their parents had a fight, nothing unusual, about their first day at school. Alec had heard his mother the night before reproaching his father the fact that he wouldn't be here for Izzy's first day in kindergarten and Alec's one in second grade.

Honestly, Alec hadn't expected him to be here as he never had been present for his first day in kindergarten and in first grade either. He didn't mind.

''Mom,'' Izzy whined.

Church answered with a snarly meowing. Since his return for the vet -where he had stayed for a few days- he was more expressive but not less grumpy.

''Eat Izzy or we'll be late,'' Maryse said while putting on her earrings.

Alec, who was already ready, left the table to get ready, followed by Church who almost made him trip. While brushing his teeth, he nervously wondered whether Magnus would be in the same class as him, like last year, or not. They didn't see each other that much during this summer given that Magnus went on vacation in Italy with his parents for quite some time.

Meanwhile, he had learned how to swim, could ride a bike without training wheels and was still desperately waiting for his archery lessons. The little paper was still on the fridge and the plastic bow that Hodge had offered him was beginning to lose its colors and there was a crack in the middle. Besides, he had already broken two arrows.

He came to think that his parents had forgotten about the archery lessons.

Before leaving, he tried with Izzy to open for an umpteenth time their puzzle boxes but failed once again. Izzy was about to cry and he knew that it wasn't because of the box. She stared one more time at her dolls an all of her toys as it was the last time that she was seeing them and reluctantly walked toward the entrance.

She was already wearing her cute schoolbag with Mulan and Mushu that their mother had finally managed to find to make her want to go to school. She had even bought for her a nice overalls and cute hairclips for her hair that had grown but not as much as their mother's.

Her mood worsened when they went outside, waiting for their mom to go out. Maryse seemed as nervous as Izzy at the thought of leaving her for the first time. They had always been together when she hadn't been able to find someone to keep her to go to work or to go somewhere else, which had happened quite often. Izzy had spent a lot of time at home or at her office but had almost always been with her.

Alec rolled his eyes when Izzy looked up with imploring eyes at their mother who was about to close the door.

''I didn't say goodbye to Church,'' she claimed with wide eyes.

It was too late, the door was closed and their mom was already putting the keys on her purse. Izzy scowled and began to pout. After making sure that her jacket was closed, she grabbed her hand while Alec was already walking ahead.

''Alec,'' firmly called his mom.

He sighed with an eye roll when he noticed how slow they were and had to stop to look behind him several times. They were worse than snails and they would end up late for their first day.

''Why are you so slow?'' he complained while looking at the sky.

''I don't want to go to school,'' explained Izzy, in case he didn't have understood. ''Mom I don't want to go to school, please!''

''You have to, Alec does, your dad and I did too.''

Not convinced, Izzy asked her if she liked it.

''It was interesting,'' Maryse evasively answered. ''And you can't say that you don't like something without trying it.''

Izzy frowned. ''Do you like school?'' she asked Alec who nodded.

He liked it, he was doing great and it was pretty fun with Magnus. Slightly relieved that it wasn't that awful, Izzy stopped pouting but didn't walk faster and even slowed down when she saw the kindergarten.

She suddenly whined and hid her face against their mother's legs before tightly wrapping her arms around. Alec could see that she was ready to use her secret weapon to soften her. Tears began to roll down on her face.

''Izzy, Alec didn't cry for his first day.''

It made her cry harder. It was just tears that showed how much in distress she was at the idea of going there otherwise she was quietly sobbing.

Alec carefully avoided to look at her to not feel bad and walked away from them to see if the kindergarten had changed. There was a lot of crying children and Mrs. Bean was here, as well as Ms. Wood and Ms. Toccarro who recognized him and waved at him with a smile. Alec waved back and looked behind him to see that Izzy had calmed down.

She threw at the playground a gaze full of fear and clang to their mother even more while Alec was waiting for her to be brave enough in order to be able to go to his own school. Maryse knelt down and softly murmured comforted words while wiping her damp cheeks.

Alec slightly frowned when Mrs. Bean noticed him and intently stared at his little sister. Izzy was cheerful -not right now but usually- so she wouldn't be a tree for the play at the end of the year. He was pretty sure that she would do well and make a lot of friends.

After a lot of tears, Izzy had calmed down and was now eyeing with curiosity at the other children but was still stuck to their mother as if she was her lifesaver. She stared at a little girl who had a schoolbag with Cinderella and finally decided to get her acts together.

Maryse kissed her, hugged her, made sure that she was okay and forced Alec to do the same. Izzy clung to him and took a deep breath before walking away from them with an unconfident walk. Alec had to admit that she was cute with her schoolbag as big as her and looked like a lost chick in a barn.

He glanced at his mother and frowned when he saw that her eyes seemed watery. ''Mom,'' he sighed.

Izzy turned around and waved at them with both of her hands. She looked fine and even talked to another girl. Alec shook his head when his mom anxiously squeezed his shoulder.

''Mom, me too I have to go to school,'' he reminded her.

But no, she wanted to make sure that Izzy was fine until she disappeared inside the classroom. Alec began to lose patience and grabbed her hand to pull her. She followed him, the eyes focused on his sister who turned around one last time to blow a kiss.

''She's fine,'' he grumpily said while pulling her arm.

His elementary school wasn't that far and was only a few blocks away. His mother took the time to explain that he had to be careful when he would have to cross the street by himself. Alec nodded, he already knew all this.

He could no longer contain his excitement when he saw his school and walked faster. There were a lot of parents just in front with kids that he had never seen before. Still, he looked at them, trying to spot a familiar face but didn't and followed his mother in the schoolyard where they could take a look at the list of students for each class.

Magnus wasn't here yet, noted Alec with disappointment.

''I'm in the same class as Magnus?'' he asked with worry.

With furrowed brows and a finger on the list, Maryse was checking.

''Aline Penhallow, you're in the same class, she must be the daughter of Patrick...Your dad worked with him before, try to be friend with her, her parents are very nice and I don't see Magnus' name.''

Dejected, Alec heaved a sigh.

''Your teacher will be Mrs. Pear.''

He slightly smiled but it didn't change anything about his disappointment. For the first time, he wouldn't be in the same class as him which meant that he would be alone. As he was too little to read what was on the board he asked her to read entirely the names of his futures classmates.

He knew no one.

Chaph would be in another class, James, Summer and all of the children he knew too. Magnus at least was lucky and wouldn't be completely alone. Resignedly, he stared at his feet. This time he would have to be as brave as Izzy and make efforts to reach out to the other kids. It would be hard but not impossible.

He suddenly heard his name and looked up but didn't have the time to turn around. Magnus threw himself at him with a wide grin and hugged him tightly. If Maryse hadn't been here, Alec's head would have violently hit the board.

''Magnus,'' she scolded him. ''Be careful.''

Alec hugged him back with a smile as big as him and couldn't understand a single word of what he was saying as he was speaking too fast. Magnus looked good, had cut his hair and had a new schoolbag.

He quietly waited for him to finish his speech while his mother and Magnus' dad greeted each other.

''We're not in the same class.''

Magnus blinked. ''What?''

''We're not in the same class,'' he said again.

Magnus looked shocked and scandalized that they were would be separated for an entire year. ''Why?''

Alec shrugged, he didn't know either, it was like this. Magnus' smile had completely disappeared and he was looking at him with dismay.

''It sucks...but at least we're in the same school!'' he relativized.

It would have been perfect to be in the same classroom but they wouldn't be far from each other and could play together during recesses. It wasn't the end of the world all in all.

''Alec, look I think it's Aline,'' said Maryse while pointing her finger at a girl with Asian features.

Alec narrowed his eyes to see better and Magnus did the same. ''You know her?''

''I don't know her,'' he clarified. ''But my dad does.''

The bell rang and Magnus grabbed his arm.

The teachers had gathered at the top of the stairs of the administration building while every parent with their kids gathered near these stairs.

Alec blinked when he felt his mother's hair tickle his forehead and his cheek.

''I have to go or I'll be late,'' she whispered into his ear.

''Okay, see you.''

She kissed him, wished him a good day, smiled at Magnus and at his father and left.

''Where I am?'' asked suddenly Magnus which made Alec looked at him with a puzzled look.

Mr. Bane perfectly understood. ''I didn't look at the list,'' he admitted.

''I'm in class C with Mrs. Pear,'' Alec said.

When he heard again that they wouldn't be together Magnus pursed his lips and asked his father why they weren't together this year.

''They do whatever they want but maybe a phone call would have prevented your separation.''

''Really?''

Alec didn't believe that it would have been possible.

''But it's not that bad like this you'll make more friends,'' he went on.

''I don't need other friends,'' Alec mumbled which made Magnus brightly smiled and squeezed his arm.

Imogene Herondale, the director, greeted them and Alec noticed that she wasn't the only one who looked scary and stern. There was another teacher, not older, who looked the same while the others looked friendlier.

It was Mrs. Pears. Alec had the scariest teachers of the whole school.

Magnus patted his shoulder while he was wincing. As always, he was luckier and had a nice young looking teacher who reminded Alec of Hodge.

He tried to spot where was the girl named Aline among the little crowd and didn't find her. He exchanged a smile with Sarah and Chaph and when he focused again on Magnus, he saw that the latter was staring at him with an unusual seriousness that made him wonder if something bad had happened.

Magnus took a deep breath. ''Alec, don't make other friends.''

Alec didn't blink and stared with confusion at the yellowish green eyes. It wasn't as if he was able to make new ones. He already had him and had some others but only Magnus was precious enough to be his best friend.

He didn't really know what to say and awkwardly mumbled an  _okay_  that finally made Magnus smile. Then, they had to get to their respective class. Mr. Bane stayed until his son disappeared from his sight and walked away with his strange tie.

Alec, who was now in the line, waiting to go inside, nervously wondered whether he should have asked the same from Magnus.

Magnus easily made friends so the spot as his best friend could be jeopardize any time by some random kid. When he looked at him, he could see that he was already talking to a boy with dark hair and blue eyes and another one who looked mixed, probably half-Asian.

He should have asked and made him promised to do the same even if it was more impossible for him than for himself. It was too late anyway, Mrs. Pear opened the door and with cold eyes made them go in the classroom.

Alec had a pretty bad feeling, much more than his classmates around him who were staring anxiously at each other as if they were going inside a slaughter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They grew up -a little, I know- and some characters begin to appear !  
> Magnus' selfish request can be taken as a fear to have Alec stolen from him or that someone else will replace him and steal his spot. 
> 
> As you could see, I'm late. My internship is more time consuming that I thought it would be so I'm not sure about my update schedule. I'll update a Monday but two weeks won't be enough for me to write. 
> 
> Thanks for reading !
> 
> Edit: I had to buy a new computer and sadly I've lost everything about my stories, including this one. So I have to rewrite everything and It'll take longer to update !


	7. Hell isn't that bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, I needed to take a break and then my computer crashed...  
> Sorry for this chapter's length as well, I couldn't split it in two parts, and I think there're more mistakes than usual...so I hope your eyes won't bleed !

The whole classroom was silent, so silent that they could hear flies fly. This silent was heavy, almost awkward and no one dared to breathe loudly, fearing that Mrs. Pear would stare at them.

If the faceless woman in Magnus' nightmares had to have a face, she would have Mrs. Pear's one, thought Alec who immediately looked down at his table.

He had successfully managed to sit in the back of the room, next to a girl who really seemed stressed out. They all were.

Some hadn't even taken off their jacket or vest and were staring either down at their table, either at an imaginary point in front of them.

No one dared to look at their neighbor or at Mrs. Pear, waiting for her to speak first before moving.

Standing on the dais, the teacher was staring at them with her piercing eyes that made her look really intimidating Until now, the director had been the epitome of scariness but it was nothing comparing to Mrs. Pear. Mrs. Herondale had a serious competitor.

All of them suddenly heard someone noisily gulp and they all held back their breath.

Mrs. Pear finally opened the mouth. “Good morning everyone, I will be your schoolteacher throughout the year,’’ she lowly said with a flat tone.

Alec had expected her to sound more fierce and harsh.

“I will not bear any chit-chat or dunces in this class, do you understand? Every day, two of you will have to take care of the board,’’ she added before having a glance at the list of the names ‘‘Tiffany and Josh for today and tomorrow it will be Agatha and Lawrence.’’

The ones she had called raised their hands but she didn’t look at them, not interested at all to know who was who. Yet, she asked them to introduce themselves in front of everyone. Alec nervously looked around and noticed that he wasn’t the one feeling uneasy with her.

Everyone was scared and no one dared to begin until she lengthily stared at a boy in front of her. Josh introduced himself with an unsteady voice, he sounded so scared and anxious that his voice quavered so much that it made some of them chuckle.

Alec couldn’t help smiling until he realized that he would be the same and that he didn’t know what to say. He wondered whether he should tell them that his birthday was coming soon, that he wanted to do archery, hated spiders, had a little sister and a best friend –who was probably beginning to forget him and to make new friends- and that he knew some words in Indonesian –thanks to the said best friend-.

He carefully listened to the others, noticing that there were more girls than boys and that it was Aline’s turn to introduce herself. As most of the girls she liked horse riding, was already seven, and she even talked about her Chinese origins.

Alec didn’t really know if he had some foreign origins, probably. He still didn’t know what to say, if not his name and his age, which was better than nothing, but it was in his best interest to make a good impression right from the beginning and not show that he was quiet and not talkative.

Mrs. Pear checked her name on the list with a lack of interest before eyeing at the next child who wasn’t the only one thinking that speaking in front of everyone was challenging. All the ones who had gone through this were now smiling and clearly relieved, making envious those who were left.

He was nervously thinking about a lot of things and didn’t realize that it was his turn to introduce himself. He was blankly staring at an imaginary point in front of him until his brain finally linked the fact that Mrs. Pear was standing in front of him, clearly waiting for something, with her head tilted, to hear the little speech he had to do.

Alec blinked and immediately stood up, making some of his classmates laugh.

''I'm Alec,'' he lowly said, hoping to not blush too much but it was too late he could feel the embarrassment burning his cheeks. ''I'm almost seven.''

His voice was steady and didn’t quaver, which was a good thing, but these few words were not enough for Mrs. Pear who pursed her lips before writing something. Alec anxiously glanced at his seatmate who was silently reciting what he was going to say.

Mrs. Pear frowned, as she didn’t seem to find his name on the list. “Alexander Lightwood?’’ she finally asked.

Alec nodded while Aline was staring at him.

“So Alec is short for Alexander? I didn’t know this version, usually it’s Alex.’’

 _It’s to make it shorter,_ he thought, not daring to say it out loud. Last year, there was another Alexander in his class and he had been glad that their nicknames were different as everyone called the other Alexander _Alex_. Even Magnus had said that Alec was cooler, easy to say and that it sounded better than Aleeeeeksssss.

Unlike his name, _Magnus_ was pretty singular and had made everyone ask him if it was Indonesian. It wasn’t and he had revealed that he had had an Indonesian name before becoming Magnus. Alec still didn’t know what his name was because he didn’t want to tell him.

“Because now I’m Magnus,’’ his best friend had haughtily said.

Magnus was Magnus so it didn’t really matter what his name was before, besides Alec couldn’t imagine him with another name, as if he had been made to be named Magnus.

Alec heaved a sigh, regretting to not have been more talkative about himself as some had been able to do. He was pretty sure that Magnus would make a very good first impression and would make lots of friends. Here again, he couldn’t overcome the fact that everyone was a threat that jeopardize his best friendship with him.

He was worried as until now they had always been together and shared everything together and the fact that this new teacher made him anxious didn’t lighten his worries. It worsened when she declared having a surprise for them after everyone’s introduction.

What frightened Alec the most was her smile and not the pop quiz in her hands.

“Like this I will be able to see your level and shortcomings,’’ she murmured with a smirk that showed her satisfaction.

Alec was nervously waiting for the test after making sure to have his ink pen. Mrs. Pear’s smile widened when she saw their trouble and really seemed to enjoy the power she had to stress them out with a word or a smile.

 “I want to change class,’’ mumbled Jessica who was his seatmate on his right.

Alec didn’t even dare to nod, especially when Mrs. Pear came behind them. There were several pages and a lot of exercises. And it wasn’t even written in big or whatsoever, there were just a lot of things that Mrs. Pear wanted to know about what they had inside their brain.

The questions were quite basic, about grammar, calculus, the time, but there was a lot of thing that he didn’t know and that he couldn’t even understand. He looked up to see with relief that he wasn’t the only one who felt lost and confused about the whole thing. He immediately looked down when Mrs. Pear stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

He did his best but with his overstrikes, smudges, ink spots here and there, his paper was messy.

“Even if you don’t know the answer, try to answer,’’ the schoolteacher had said.

Alec had tried but he simply didn’t know so he hadn’t even bothered to make up an answer. It was the first test of the year and he had already messed up. He couldn’t wait to play with Magnus during the recess.

Jessica glanced at his paper with pursed lips and eyes full of worry. He discreetly moved his arm to allow her to cheat properly. When Aron, who was his seatmate on his left, saw that he had allowed her to copy from him, leaned over, ready to steal the knowledge he didn’t have while Alec was nervously checking around to make sure that Mrs. Pear wasn’t looking at them.

Yet, he couldn’t wait for her to say that the time was up to finally be done but at the same time, he didn’t really want to give his test back when he had to, fearing to get a really bad grade.

“Time is up, I hope not to see bad surprises,” she said with an evil smile.

Alec winced when she gazed at him with weary eyes after seeing the state of his test. She didn’t say anything but after checking some papers she began to laugh, as if there were too much stupidities written for her to handle.

He definitely didn’t like her and hoped that she wasn’t laughing because of his answers while she sat at her desk and giggled before going through their tests.

Mrs. Pear was scary and immediately got nicknamed Mrs. Fear in their mind. She finally stopped giggling by herself and stood up to finally teach. The kids who were looking through the windows and the glass door on the right widened their eyes when they saw Mrs. Herondale coming nearer, as if she intended to go inside the classroom, which she did.

Mrs. Fear and Mrs. Herondale together in the same room was too much for them to handle, they  almost forgot they had to stand up to greet her.

The teachers stared at each other and in a silent exchanged agreed to something that they couldn’t understand. The director quickly walked through the tables to make sure that everything was okay, she didn’t utter a word, didn’t look at anyone in particular –if not Mrs. Fear-, without noticing how tensed they were, and went away to frighten another classroom full of innocent pupils who didn’t know that their biggest fear was coming for them.

They sat back, robotically and with relief, ready for an endless morning with Mrs. Fear.

 

Alec thought that they would never go outside, even if they had perfectly heard the bell for the recess, even upon hearing the excited cries of everyone else in the playground and even after seeing out of the corner of the eyes hazy figures through the glass door. Mrs. Fear still hadn’t authorized them to leave and was quietly staring at them, clearly enjoying the situation.

She finally murmured the words they were all waiting for. “You may go.”

They all stood up, even Tiffany and Josh who hesitantly glanced at the teacher before cleaning the board. Alec rushed outside and let out a relieved sigh.

“We’re free!” shouted a classmate, which made them chuckle.

He stared at them mixing in with the others and tried to spot Magnus with narrowed eyes, without daring to move from where he was, fearing to be shoved.

“Alec,” loudly said a voice against his ear.

Startled, he slightly curled up after feeling two arms wrapping around his neck, and relaxed when he saw candies in Magnus’ hands.

“Where did you got them?” he asked before taking a prickly red candy.

Everyone knew there was a candy trafficking in the school thanks to the 5th grades who ran the whole thing.

Magnus was too busy chewing the candies he had in the mouth to answer and took him on the other end of the playground. Alec followed him and swallowed the tasty candy before spotting Chaph and some other kids he knew. They were all no longer together and behaved as if they had to move on and make new friends, forgetting the previous ones. Yet, Chaph brightly smiled at him and comically winced when James moved closer to snatch the ball for him.

“Will’s sister gave him candies so he gave me some,” finally admited Magnus who walked faster.

 _Who’s Will?_ wondered Alec with a frown while trying to walk as fast as him. _Why is he in a hurry?_ He opened the mouth to ask him who was Will when he noticed that he was going towards two kids, the same he had seen him talk with before, near the teachers’ building.

“I’ve found Alec,” he cheerfully said to the kids Alec didn’t know.

The one with dark hair and blue eyes smiled as brightly as Magnus while the other, who looked mixed with Chinese features, stared at Alec with curiosity. Alec immediately looked down to avoid his stare.

The blue-eyed boy held out his hand to give some candies but Alec didn’t reach out. He didn’t want any, especially from him. His brows furrowed and he did the same toward the other boy who was still staring at Alec while Magnus was waiting for Alec to react.

“I’m Will,’’ he introduced himself before looking upset that his friend was ignoring his hand. “Hey, Smarty pants, want some?”

Smarty-pants blinked and looked at him with a frown. “No, thank you.”

Will and Smarty-pants began to memorize Alec who met Magnus’ eyes.

“Alec,’’ he introduced himself in a murmur.

Smarty-pants threw at him a I’m-judging-you stare. “Obviously,’’ he said. “I’m James and not Smarty-pants,” he added with a glare for Will.

“You can call him Jem,’’ said Magnus with a little smile.

So Jem -aka Smarty-pants- and Will.

Alec wanted to tell Magnus about Mrs. Pear, aka Mrs. Fear, but he wasn’t fast enough and remained quiet while Will was talking. Only two hours had gone by and Magnus had already two new friends. He silently stared at them, listening Magnus befriending other people than him.

He really regretted not having made him promise to not make new friends as well and to not be in the same class as him. He didn’t like this situation where they no longer shared anything as before and at the same time. Each of them were on their own and had to adapt themselves to these new changes.

Even last year, Alec had noticed that Magnus easily went towards the others kids but it hadn’t bothered him as much as they were together all the time. Being separated and to see him moving on without him made him suddenly fear to lose him. Especially when he saw how friendly he was with Will and Smarty-pants.

Yet, he wasn’t thrust aside. Magnus didn’t allow him to do so or to let anyone doing so. Alec didn’t feel left out, not at all, not because of him, but thanks to him and because of Will and Smarty-pants’ kindness, however it didn’t prevent him to remain silent the whole time, too jealous and slightly resentful towards himself for not having been fast enough to make Magnus’ promise to not make new friends.

It wasn’t as if he could have anyways.

Obviously, it was okay for him to be friends with them but he didn’t want to. He stubbornly didn’t want to and not because of the promise but because they were stealing Magnus from him.

Alec hated them.

He hated how close they were, how happily chatting they were and how happy Magnus was with someone else beside him. He sincerely began to regret not having made him promise the same thing and resented him from being this friendly.

Alec couldn’t  look after him and monopolize him like before.

He hadn’t really minded to share him, mostly because of his English, and because they had always been together. It was no longer the case, which jeopardized their two years old best friendship. He no longer could be by his side as often as before and be special in his eyes.

The whole situation sucked.

Alec stared at Magnus who didn’t notice anything, too busy to laugh while eating candies.

Still Magnus could still be his best friend if he learned to share him more. He just had to do as if it didn’t bother him. Magnus was funny and deserved to have a lot of friends after all.

Besides, he seemed really happy and clearly didn’t feel the need to play exclusively with him, as Alec did. Maybe he wasn’t enough. Maybe he wasn’t cheerful enough to satisfy him or it was the only way for their best friendship to last forever… Alec just had to share him and more than usual. He minded of course but was used to it with Izzy. Sharing was necessary at home, even if he didn’t like it.

Even at school, he had to share from now on and nothing good could come out of selfishness and possessiveness. Alec perfectly remembered being scolded when once he had dared to be selfish with his police car that Izzy wanted to borrow for one of her dolls. He had come to realize that he couldn’t allow himself to be selfish so he just pretended to not be so -while Izzy could because boys didn’t play with dolls-.

He was used to it so it wouldn’t be too difficult to do the same with Magnus, even if he was heartbroken. Magnus wasn’t his.

He began to feel bad to behave as he did when Magnus often glanced at him, worried to not hear him so he talked for the two of them. Even if he looked aloof, remained silent and was slightly grumpy, he was still listening.

Will had two sisters, an older one thanks to whom they had candies as she was in the 4th grade and a little one in kindergarten. Alec wondered if she was in the same class as Izzy, he had to ask her if there was a Cecilia, and looked up to see where Ella was among her friends. Will and she looked alike and a lot.

Moreover, he was related to Mrs. Herondale, the director. Alec winced, which made Jem smiled.

“Nobody likes her in my family,’’ tried to reassure them Will.

“We don’t have to be part of your family to not like her,” Magnus retorted.

Alec nodded. Nobody likes her, if not Mrs. Fear.

The recess ended faster than he had expected and he hadn’t even had an alone time with Magnus. Dejected, he went back in his classroom, hoping that he would be able to tell him how awful his teacher was later.

 

He finally had him to himself at the end of the day, once Will -aka the Trouble Maker- and Smarty-pants had left, followed by Chaph who had played with them for a moment before leaving. He told him about Mrs. Fear, which made Magnus smile when he heard the nickname, how apathetic she was as she didn’t care enough about them. She just wanted them to learn and the ways didn’t really matter. She didn’t bother to be gentle or to make things go smoothly for her pupils.

Magnus looked worried and glanced at his classroom, as if he was hoping to see her, before telling him about his classmates and his awesome teacher. They naturally came to talk about Will and Jem, at least Magnus did.

“You don’t seem to like them,’’ he said with concern and a tone that showed that he liked them.

 _Because I don’t,_ thought Alec but he only shrugged.

Magnus pursed his lips. “You can be friends with them you know.”

Alec frowned. “But you said that I couldn’t make new friends,” he protested.

Magnus, with a puzzled look, glanced on the right side, as if he had realized that he was contradicting himself. “You can be friends with my friends,” he finally stated after thinking for a while.

Alec blinked, Magnus was even more selfish than him. Besides, befriending the persons who were stealing him from him would be impossible.

“But you said that I couldn’t make new friends,” insisted Alec.

Magnus frowned. “You still can’t.”

Alec opened his mouth to protest even harder but Magnus, who was looking for an escape because the topic was too sensitive for him, ran away after spotting his mom and waved at him with a bright smile. Mrs. Bane saw him and clearly wanted to come towards him but Magnus didn’t allow her to do so and pulled her arm, not wanting to hear Alec complain about the promise.

Alec wondered how _selfish_ was said in Indonesian and became grumpier than before.

This year would be hellish. At school, with Magnus and probably with his parents if they carried on their usual fights.

He wondered what he would have to say to them when they would ask him about his day. It hadn’t been great so far and he didn’t feel great either. He had met new people but wasn’t interested in them, neither were they, and it had nothing to do with the promise.

For the first time of his young life, he wasn’t impatient to go to school the day after and even the following days, even to see Magnus, especially to witness him abandoning him.

He couldn’t wait to be home and got worried when he noticed that he was the only kid left in the school. Obviously, his mom had forgotten him, which was weird and unusual, so he suspected his dad to be the one who should have picked him up. No wonder he was still waiting with anticipation.

It also meant that Izzy was waiting.

He was now really worried. She was probably thinking that she had been abandoned, maybe she was even crying, given that it was her first day.

Bored, he went around the playground, glancing at the gate wide open. Mrs. Pear was still in the classroom and he doubted that she was the only teacher who was still here. He could easily walk away but didn’t dare to do so despite feeling the urge to get to Izzy as soon as possible and to run away from this place. Moreover, he knew the way to take to go to the kindergarten and he was perfectly aware that his escape of boredom would be dangerous but also exciting and at the same time, it’ll show that he was old enough to walk alone which would make things easier for his dad who could pick them up at the same time.

He nervously checked that no one was here or looking at him from a window and slipped away, ears into his neck, while running. Excited and the heart madly pounding in his chest, his smiled widened. He only stopped running once he reached a cross walk and because he was scared to break the books he carried on his back, which were making a disturbing noise in his bag.

He was free and no one chased after him, with a lot of luck Mrs. Pear –if she cared enough- would think that he had left with his parents.

He patiently waited for the light to become green for the pedestrians before happily crossing the road. All in all, maybe he didn’t know the way to the kindergarten as great as he had first thought. He wasn’t lost, not yet at least, he just hadn’t expected the way back to look so different.

He carefully walked, slightly confused, looking around him, less excited than before. He got lost but managed to miraculously find his way and was now just in front of the kindergarten. He just had to cross the road.

He walked faster and reached the big gate to see that Izzy was the only child left, in the middle of the playground. She was crying her eyes out while Mrs. Bean was trying to comfort her as best as she could.

Alec quietly came towards them with worry.

“My, I’ve never seen anyone crying this much,” Mrs. Bean stated, slightly surprised, while wiping her tears from her face.

Izzy cried harder and Mrs. Bean finally noticed Alec who was staring at them.

“Look, Alec is here, no one did abandon you, your mom is just late.”

Alec nodded and wondered if she had a really bad day to cry this much. As soon as she saw him through her tears and puffy eyes, his little sister clung to him to wipe her face against him and to whine to her heart content.

Izzy the little hippopotamus sniffled. “I knew you’d never abandon me,” she said with confidence while Mrs. Bean went back inside to call their mom.

Alec hoped she didn’t wipe her snot on him and stepped backwards with a wince. “I’d be the first one to do that in a desert island,’’ he retorted.

Izzy stared at him with a pout, as he had escaped from her tight hug, and wiped her face with her hand.

“You’ll never do that,” she complained with a whine, hoping that it wasn’t true.

Of course, he would never do that. She would never survive on her own. If she had to be abandoned, he would come with her to make sure she’ll survive.

“Stop crying, mom and dad would never abandon us, they just forgot, it happens.”

Then, he asked her about her day and if she had a lots of fun despite crying like a baby. Izzy suddenly brightened, took him to the wooden tower to tell him about her adventures. She talked a lot, but Alec was relieved that everything had gone well for her and that she had met a lot of friends.

“There’s a Cecilia with you?” he asked.

Izzy nodded. Cecilia was nice and loved Mulan as much as she did. Alec sighed and waited for her to climb to the top where he was waiting for her before telling her about his day. There were now inside the wooden tower, sitting on the two little benches inside.

He carefully choose his words to not make Magnus appear very selfish or to make him even more hated by her. He now understood what she must have felt when Magnus had appeared to steal him away from her. He was now in the same situation.

And Izzy clearly didn’t like that when she came to know that he was sad because of Magnus’ new friends.

“I’ll play with you,” she said to comfort him, as if it was enough to cheer him up.

Alec rolled his eyes, she didn’t understand anything.

They both flinched when Mrs. Bean’s head suddenly appeared on their right to tell them that their mom was coming to pick them up. Izzy let out a high-pitch scream while Alec only stared at her with scared eyes and the heard ready to jump out from his chest.

She waited for them to calm down before asking how he was doing. Alec shrugged, he was doing fine overall, expect today.

“Who’s your teacher this year?”

“Mrs. Fear, Pear,” he hastened to correct himself.

She nodded, thoughtfully, before finally straightening up, removing her head from the shelter of the wooden tower.

“Your mom is here.”

Izzy quickly rose before sitting down after remembering that she had cried because she was late. She was getting ready to pout to show her how mad she was while Alec was hoping that he wouldn’t get scolded for leaving the school as he had.

He stood up, reluctantly followed by his sister, and winced when he saw how angry their mother looked like. She thanked Mrs. Bean, took Izzy’s bag and bent down to kiss them with clenched jaws.

“No,” haughtily said Izzy when she tried to hug her.

She shouldn’t have, their mom was already angry and it worsened when she rejected her. Alec then got harshly kissed on the forehead.

“I’m sorry,” she lowly said. “Dad was supposed to be the one to pick you up.”

Obviously, he had forgotten. It didn’t change anything, Izzy refused to take her hand and snottily walked toward the car, parked just in front of the gate.

“Did you have a nice day?” Marye asked while Alec was waiting for her to realize what he had done.

“Yeah,” he lied while glancing at her with worry.

“I still have a lot to do at work so I can’t take you home, I had to leave right away and I told them that I would be right back, Izzy do you hear me? We’re not going home.”

Izzy ignored her and waited for her to open the car.

“She cried, she thought everyone had left her,” Alec mumbled.

His mom snorted. “Izzy, despite all the nasty things you can do, we’ll never abandon you.”

Izzy glared at her. “Only Alec loves me,” she grumbled while getting in the car

Yet, when their mom made sure that her seat belt was correctly fastened, she glanced at her with a pout and got noisily kissed on the cheek. This time she didn’t push her back but suspiciously stared at her. She wouldn’t stay mad for a long time, not if she wanted to eat a snack.

Alec rolled his eyes and once in front of the wheel, their mother called their father, at least she tried given that he was ignoring her calls. It happened that she swore and cursed but they had never heard her saying so many bad words before. After cursing him in a voice message, she let out a relieved sigh and called back for another voice message.

“Tonight you’ll sleep on the couch!” she hissed.

Church wouldn’t be very happy to share the couch with him.

 

It had been a very long time since Alec had gone to his mother’s work place, he never went there as much as Izzy when he was little. It explained why his sister was the mascot of the accounting department.

A lot of people stopped them to greet her. “Izzy!”, “You’re so pretty!”, “Give me a kiss!” or “Did you grow up?”

She was idolized and seemed to love that.

Yet, some people recognized Alec as well and couldn’t believe he had grown so much and looked so much like his mom and dad. Embarrassed, Alec immediately hid behind his mother, hoping to be left alone. Their mom proudly smiled, happy to hear their praises, before finally taking them in a safe place, far from any fan club. She found an empty meeting room and pushed them inside.

Alec didn’t really have any homework to do but didn’t mind reading the boring books he had on his back. He didn’t have the choice anyway, he had to keep himself busy until they could finally go home.

His mom gave a calculator to Izzy with a lot of invoices and different highlighters. She already knew what to do and began to work hard by coloring each number in a different color before taking the calculator, as if she was calculating for real.

Maryse smiled and stared at Alec. _Look after her_ , could say her eyes. Alec nodded and tried to read what he had done in class but watching Izzy sticking her tongue while coloring was much more fun.

She looked up. “Don’t be sad,” she said. “I said that I’ll play with you so I will.”

“I’m not sad, I’m bored.”

Izzy grabbed the calculator and frantically drummed while he took the colorful invoices that she had put aside. Then he froze. There was a huge spider on the white table, it was moving fast and towards him.

He could have shrieked and ran away but didn’t and stared at her, motionless, without breathing. He was traumatized since he had watched a scary moment of the Lord of the Rings on the TV when he had been left alone in the living room. A huge spider ready to eat an innocent hobbit. Mesmerized by the scariness of the situation, Alec had watched the scene until his dad noticed what was on the screen and scolded him for that.

The images had haunted him and still did. Especially the nightmare he had had the night after. He had been the hobbit that the huge spider wanted to eat and no one had been there to save him.

Big, little, nice or mean, Alec hated spiders, even if he was bigger than them, he was scared as soon as he saw one no matter its size.

He almost whined when it came closer but Izzy was here, ready to protect her big brother. She stood up on her chair, raised her arm with the calculator and violently dropped her arm on the spider that she crushed.

She had saved him.

Then, she carefully raised the calculator to see if it was definitely dead and let out a high-pitch shriek when the spider’s lifeless and crushed body fell on the table before running away. As he didn’t want to stay alone with the spider, Alec followed her, quickly, just in case it would come back to life.

 

Their dad came back home late, very late, and when they were already in bed, ready to sleep. He had been too scared to come back, had thought Alec when he heard his mom’s angry and loud whispers whereas he was just too busy with his attorney job.

Izzy had had her story and was pensively staring at the ceiling. Now, Alec was too big to ask for one and didn’t have the choice but to hear stories about witches and princesses that his sister loved so much. He could have left meanwhile but hadn’t, too lazy to move from his bed.

“Dad’s in trouble,” whispered Izzy.

Alec still wasn’t for running away from his school, his mother still hadn’t realized yet.

“It was their first day!” they could hear her loudly say in the corridor. “You could have made an effort for today!”

Her voice sounded exasperated and was strangely shrilly on the end, as if she couldn’t handle this situation anymore.

“I forgot,” their dad said, almost harshly, tired to apologize. “I was too busy and…”

“Robert,” she firmly cut him off. “Don’t forget that you’re also a father,” she hissed. “And my husband…,” she reluctantly said. “And not for much longer if you go on like this,” she threatened him. “It was their first day, _Izzy’s first day_ , you never went to any of Alec’s ones, was that too complicated to go and pick them up?”

Robert didn’t say anything but from what Alec and Izzy could hear, he had tried to touch her in a gesture of reconciliation.

“Tonight, you’ll sleep on the couch,” their mom dryly said while going into her bedroom with a shuffling gait.

Alec wondered if this thing that was called a divorce would happen to them, as he had read in his dad’s secret files.

“Why Alec and Izzy were together?” he suddenly heard his father’s voice say, just in front of their door. “Maryse?” he asked before knocking at the door that she had locked.

Alec tensed up and straightened up, wondering how he had noticed it without being here. Izzy, who always did like she couldn’t hear a thing whenever their parents argued, suddenly giggled, preventing him to hear what they were saying, but one thing was sure, his parents barged in their bedroom, suddenly reconciled to scold him.

Alec was in for a rough time. He even was threatened to never have any archery lessons as it was initially planned. For once, Izzy was happy to not be the nasty one and was looking at them with her big eyes, blinking like an owl.

Too weary of this endless wait for the archery lessons, Alec didn’t react, he no longer believed that he would ever be an archer in a near future. He didn’t apologized nor did he promised to never run away from school as he had done.

“What’s wrong?” suddenly and gently asked his dad. “You don’t want to be an archer?”

Alec feigned indifference with a shrug and tried to slightly moved backwards in his bed, feeling oppressed by the presence of his parents on his bed. After noticing that he was grumpy and weary, they had decided to sit down in order to discover why.

“Something happened in school?” gently asked his mom with a frown before stroking his hair.

Alec just wanted to be left alone with his pain.

“He’s sad because Magnus has new friends,” Izzy whispered which earned her a glare from him.

“I’m not sad,” he protested whereas he was.

Relieved that it was only that, Robert stood up and ruffled his hair. “Make new ones too then.”

Alec wasn’t the only one to glare at him but didn’t silently cursed him as his mother did. She didn’t leave and stared at him.

“Magnus didn’t play with you today?”

“He did,” he reluctantly answered.

“Then, why are you sad?”

Because he didn’t want him to be this friendly with anyone else, he was too afraid to lose him. Waiting for an answer that would never come, Maryse sighed, kissed his forehead, kissed Izzy and went to bed before coming back later.

“Alec, make new friends too, did you speak with Aline?”

He inwardly sighed and pretended to be asleep under his sheets. They didn’t know that he couldn’t make new friends because of the promise and because he was unable to do so usually. If Magnus didn’t want him to have new friends, then he wouldn’t and even if he could befriend Will and Jem, he just didn’t want to, not with the ones who were stealing Magnus away from him.

“Don’t be sad, I’ll play with you,’’ Izzy whispered before getting off her bed to sloppily kiss his cheek.

She then ran back in her bed and stopped moving while Alec, wide-awake, didn’t dare to wipe the wet sensation he felt on his face. He still had Magnus though but for the sake of their best friendship, he better had to do as if everything was fine.

He was used to sharing, he shared Magnus since the beginning so he could continue to do so. Even if it made him more and more anxious and unsecure. He had done it until now, so why should he stopped?

He could be really good at pretending.

*

His mother had guessed that his lack of enthusiasm to go to school was due to his teacher but not only. He was no longer excited like before and was as reluctant as Izzy, if not more. But she trusted him above all, if he wasn’t complaining it meant that everything was fine or at least bearable. Robert was the same, despite being more perceptive. He knew there was a reason behind his sullen, grumpy behavior at home, and his lack of enthusiasm for school, but he also waited for him to speak about that, as until now his questions remained unanswered.

“Have a nice day and make new friends,” he said after driving him in front of his school. “And don’t run away,” he added more lightly since he had done this previously.

Alec never did it again and glanced at him in a weary way, bored to hear the same thing. “Then, don’t forget to pick me up,” he mumbled.

His dad snorted. “Hurry up, you’re already late.”

They all were late because of Church who had stuck his fluffy body in the hood of his mom’s car. Nobody knew how it had happened nor since when Church was trapped inside and since when he was snarly meowing for help.

Izzy had insisted to pick up all the fur he had lost to stick it back on him with a glue. Robert had had to give him a haircut.

Church was no longer a fluffy cat.

Alec quickly looked behind to show his dad that he was inside the school, safe and sound. Relieved, the latter quickly left with a whirring noise.

Now, he was utterly and completely alone in the playground, besides being incredibly late because of a cat they loved slightly too much. He wondered with worry what he could say to Mrs. Fear to explain his lateness. She hated that and even more stupid explanations. His would be a very stupid one despite being true.

He couldn’t stop smiling when he remembered how angry, dirty and scared Church had been in his mother’s arms after she had opened the hood. He then sheepishly winced when he crossed the playground and glanced at Magnus’ classroom.

Alec was already in front of his, took a deep breath before shyly knocking, and came in. Mrs. Fear who was near the door, turned around. She stared at the clock, on the wall just above the board before looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“One hour late, you have broken Eiden’s record,” she stated.

For a second, Alec thought that he wasn’t allowed to go inside so he remained where he was, waiting for her approval.

“You are just in time for the poem reciting,” she added before walking toward her desk.

Relieved to be allowed to stay, Alec quickly went to sit in his own seat. Jessica and Aron, and even his seatmates in front of him, asked him why he was late. They seemed to find his cat very funny and chuckled when he told them that he had been mysteriously trapped inside the car.

Mrs. Fear stared at them with a frown while Aline stood on the dais, ready to recite the poem they all had to learn for today. She looked extremely nervous and was obviously trying to hide her face behind her dark hair while biting her bottom lip.

She avoided to look in front of her to not see all their stare on her and took a deep breath. Her voice quivered. 

“Take this kiss upon the brow. And, in parting from you now, thus much let me avow,” she hurry to said to finish it quickly.

Mrs. Fear’s frown had deepened. It wasn’t a good sign, especially when she stood up, cutting her off, destabilizing Aline who blinked and worriedly followed her with the eyes. The teacher sat in the back of the class, behind Emma and Hannah who didn’t dare to turn back.

Aline started over with even less confidence than before. “Take this kiss upon the brow. And, in parting from you now, thus much let me avow, you are not wrong, who deem that my days have been a dream; yet if…”

“Louder,” cut her off Mrs. Fear. “I can’t hear you.”

Alec could perfectly hear her though, they all did, even if she was talking quietly and quickly to get rid of this homework. Aline pursed her lips, nervously squeezed her hands and her chin quivered. She tried but she wasn’t loud enough for Mrs. Fear who insisted.

And in front of all of them, Aline began to cry, silently and behind her hair, the head down. They automatically stared at Mrs. Fear accusingly, waiting for her to do something for the poor Aline who couldn’t calm down.

She didn’t get a bad grade, she didn’t get any as she could try again the day after. Mrs. Fear was strangely merciful which was weird. Alec stared at Aline who went to sit back on her chair, the face hidden. She had slightly calmed down but now no one wanted to volunteer to be the next one.

Mrs. Fear raised her eyebrows before raising her pen that she intended to drop on a name of the list.

“Alexander,” she said.

He gulped but robotically stood up, ready to screw up. He understood what Aline had felt to stand on the dais with all their stare focused on him. She had stopped crying and was looking at him with red eyes and wet cheeks.

He took a deep breath, nervously squeezed his hands and stared at an imaginary point on the wall, just above Mrs. Fear’s head. He knew his poem by heart so he couldn’t really messed up. He just had to speak slowly and loudly.

“Take this kiss upon the brow. And, in parting from you now, thus much let me avow, you are not wrong, who deem that my days have been a dream; yet if hope has flown away in a night, or in a day, in a vision, or in none, is it therefore the less gone. All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream. I stand amid the roar of a surf-tormented shore, and I hold within my hand grains of the golden sand, how few. Yet how they creep through my fingers to the deep, while I weep, while I weep. O God, can I not grasp them with a tighter clasp. O God, can I not save one from the pitiless wave. Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream.”

He finally was able to breathe in and warily glanced at Mrs. Fear. She didn’t look impressed and sighed.

“A-, you didn’t respect the intonations. Edgar Allan Poe must be rolling over in his grave.”

Some of his classmates giggled.

“But maybe Josh can do better?” she suggested.

The latter winced, it wasn’t his fault if his laughs were quite recognizable. When Alec went to sit back, relieved and proud to not have messed up, Aline smiled at him. He smiled back, more shyly and awkwardly before hurrying to stick his behind on his chair before staring down at his table.

 

Mrs. Fear gave them an umpteenth test that they had to finish quickly in order to have time to change for the field day. The test was not like the previous ones and Alec frowned. All the questions were about school, teachers, how he felt…, about him in short.

It was slightly confusing and not that easy. He wouldn’t have mind to have a test about grammar and calculus. He didn’t know what to write, unsure to not be able to express himself properly, especially with the first question: _Describe with one word what school represents in your eyes_. He skipped the question to answer the easiest ones.

One word to describe a lot of feelings. School wouldn’t be a happy place this year, for sure, even if Magnus was here, and that he would see shortly after for the field day. He was excited to see him but wasn’t really happy given the new circumstances.

One word finally came up in his mind, he hastened to write it down. _Hell_. He lengthily stared at this word that was very meaningful but he was not really sure to have used the good one to express his feelings about school nowadays. He slightly felt guilty but it was too late to erase as Mrs. Fear quickly picked up their papers.

Her eyes briefly wandered over what he had written and she glanced up at him for a while. Alec wondered if his answers weren’t that great, hell was obviously a bad answer that Mrs. Fear hadn’t expected.

Then, they all had to get change into their gym clothes. Alec looked at the huge bruise he had on the right knee and laughed out loud when Aron suddenly felt on his behind after losing his balance. It was easier to sit on the floor to put his pants on, so that was what he did before wondering if Magnus had put two t-shirts like he always did to avoid being half-naked in front of everyone in order to not show his scar. He had begun to do that at the end of last year, weary to hear the same questions whenever they had to undress.

Once, they were all changed, Alec had to pair up with Tiffany and walked until they reached the stadium. All the school had already left, as no one seemed to be here.

Mrs. Fear heaved a very annoyed sigh. “Hurry up!”

They hurried up and Alec looked with a frown and a wince at his hand that Tiffany had decided to hold. There were no longer babies and could walk without holding hands. Out of politeness, he didn’t say anything and it wasn’t that bad. Her hand was warm and she was nice. Even if she squeezed his hand too hard.

As soon as they reached their destination, he narrowed his eyes, trying to spot Magnus among all the kids. But the stadium was quite huge and all of them were scattered here and there, in the areas divided by activities. Tiffany released him and Mrs. Fear walked toward the others teachers. They were free to join any activities they wanted.

While everyone was running towards the activity of his or her choice, Alec carefully walked while looking around. It was too sunny so he couldn’t see that well and didn’t notice Jem right away. The latter, who was sitting on the grass near the colorful cones, had spotted him from the beginning and was staring at him.

When Alec did notice him, he was too close to pretend he hadn’t so they awkwardly stared at each other, not knowing what to say or to do.

“Magnus and Will were thirsty,’’ Jem explained. “And I have a pretty bad asthma so they won’t let me take part in the games.”

Alec wasn’t particularly friendly with him, which explained Smarty-pants’ stare and tone, yet he sat next to him.  He really didn’t know how to behave with him, Jem slightly intimidated him with his maturity and smartness. Especially with his I’m-judging-you stare whenever someone said something stupid, Jem couldn’t stand stupidity but he was too nice to say this out loud, so he silently stared at one with his stare full of judgements.

Jem was still staring at him but didn’t say anything about his usual lack of friendliness and because Alec wasn’t friendly he wasn’t very friendly either.

“Why were you not there this morning?” he asked with a glance.

Alec inwardly winced, he didn’t want to tell him what had happened, at least not everything, fearing that he would find his little sister too stupid. He didn’t want that. He suddenly heard an enthusiastic –and probably affectionate- “Smarty-pants” loudly shouted behind them. Jem instinctively curled up while Will was crushing him under his weight.

Alec immediately turned back to see where was Magnus and flinched when he saw that he was already on his left, looking at him.

“You scared me,” he complained which made him widely smile.

“At least, _I_ am smart,’’ mumbled Jem who glared at Will who properly sat next to him.

“Why were you late?” asked Magnus. “I waited for you a very long time.”

“Church and Izzy.”

Magnus didn’t have to ask for more, he could perfectly imagined what had happened. Just in case, Alec warned him that Church wasn’t as fluffy as before, so he would have to wait before stroking his fur the next time he would come over.

Meanwhile, a teacher came to take Jem to ask him to help as he was excused from P.E. With a little smile, Will moved closer to know exactly what Alec’s cat had done. Will also made him uncomfortable, he was too extrovert, more than Magnus, and was too carefree and reckless but  didn’t seem to mind his lack of friendliness and was still friendly with him.

Magnus seemed to admire him and was gazing at him as if he was fascinated. Alec didn’t really understand but agreed, Will was awesome, more interesting and fun than he was. He couldn’t help being surprised, relieved and happy that Magnus stayed with him when Will decided to leave them to take part in an activity. He glanced at him to see his green-yellowish eyes focused on the awesome Will.

“You can go with him, I still don’t know which one I’ll pick,” he said, even if he had a rough idea.

Magnus shrugged. “I don’t know either.”

They were the only ones who still hadn’t made their choice but it didn’t seem to bother anyone. Alec smiled when he saw that Summer was looking at Magnus from afar, she still seemed to be in love with him. Annoyed, Magnus gave him a nudge and decided to annoy him with a blade of grass by tickling his neck when he was too focused on anything but him.

Alec tried his best to ignore him before it got unbearable. Magnus teased him a lot lately to make him smile and to make him more lively. He had noticed that he was more quiet, withdrawn and grumpier than before.

“You’re not smiling,” reproached him Magnus, highly displeased that his plan didn’t work.

“I smiled, I just did, you didn’t see it!”

He couldn’t really see how Magnus had hoped to make him smile by bothering him. Besides, if he hadn’t been too busy to stare at Will he would have seen his smile.  

They bickered over the smile that Magnus hadn’t noticed until they got scolded by Mrs. Fear for being too lazy to choose an activity. Under a sunshade, Jem was staring at them with his I’m-judging-you stare.

Closely followed by Magnus, Alec ran toward the baseball area. Aline was hiting the ball, she threw the bat on the teacher and ran to safely reached the second base. She was fast.

“My mom wants me to invite the whole school to get to know everyone for this new year,” Magnus grumpily said.

Alec stared at him.

“You’re coming,” Magnus added when he saw his reluctant look.

“The whole school?” he asked with worry.

It would be after his birthday, he thoughtfully looked at the yellow grass under his feet and glanced up at Magnus who wanted to hear him say that he would come.

“I’ll have a surprise for you,” he declared before raising his hand to be part of the new round.

When he saw that Alec wasn’t raising his arm, he grabbed his wrist and raised it for him.

“What kind of surprise?” he reluctantly asked.

Magnus mysteriously smiled and Alec couldn’t help but smile back.

*

Alec was now seven years old, finally.

Izzy took a deep breath in order to blow out the candles but their dad quickly put his hand on her mouth. “It’s your brother’s birthday, not yours.”

“Make a wish,” reminded him his mom with a glance for Izzy who was trying to free herself.

Alec intently stared at the blue candle and wished for his best friendship with Magnus to last forever before blowing out while his mom was taking a picture. Disappointed, Izzy’s pout deepened. To prevent any tears, they lit up another candle that she got allowed to blow out.

He discreetly stole a strawberry from the cake and slowly chewed it until his mom focused back on the cake that she intended to cut. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed that one strawberry was missing. She glanced up and gazed at him.

“Alec,” she sighed before giving him a huge piece of the chocolate cake with several strawberries while her husband left to get the presents.

The mouth full of cake, Izzy was still holding preciously the envelope with her present inside. Alec was pretty sure it was a drawing. Their dad soon came back with four silver packages with black ribbons that he put next to his plate before dropping a quick kiss on his forehead.

“Happy birthday.”

Maryse took an umpteenth picture, asked him to smile but, as Izzy was more dazzling, ended up taking more pictures of her. Alec dropped his spoon with an impassive face whereas he was very excited inwardly and opened the first package. It was a book about a ten-year-old detective who had to resolve a lot of mysteries. He smiled and opened the next one, this time it was a book about archery. He glanced at his father who grinned.

“I didn’t forget,” he hastened to say. “Just wait a little longer.”

Alec put it above the previous present to open the next one. It was a puzzle. He lengthily stared at the awesome dragon on the box. He wasn’t really into puzzles and was slightly disappointed. His parents must have thought that he liked it because he was always helping Izzy with her Disney ones.

He only helped her because she never finished them and always asked for help because she wasn’t patient enough to do them, it wasn’t because he enjoyed doing them.

He sighed when he discovered that the last present was another puzzle: a young boy, dressed like Robin Hood, who was shooting an arrow in a forest. He wanted to do archery not to get everything related to it.

Izzy, then, proudly gave him her present with a wide smile. The red envelope had chocolate stains on it, as her hands and her face.

“Little piggy,” he felt the need to say.

Her smile disappeared but she didn’t have the time to whine, Maryse was already on her, wiping her face with a napkin while Alec unfolded the drawing with curiosity. She had messily drawn the both of them, playing together in the playroom.

He thought back about her promise to play with him. He stared at her and gave her a hug to thank her for her present. Izzy hugged him back and asked if she could eat all the strawberries, including his.

He agreed with a humph before thanking his parents with a quick hug and a kiss. As always, his mom wanted more and trapped him in her arms. He should have known.

“Happy birthday,’’ she wished him again against his temple with a big kiss.

He had had indeed a happy birthday despite Hogde’s absence and couldn’t wait to discover what was Magnus’ surprise.

 

Alec was slowly getting ready to sleep at Magnus’ place. He was so unusually slow that his mother who was doing the laundry in the bathroom stared at him through the mirror with a frown, while he was blankly gazing at his toothbrush.

“Alec.”

He blinked and took his toothbrush but she quickly and gently grabbed his wrist to make him stand in front of her. Church, who was grooming his short fur, near the washing machine lazily glanced at them.

“What?” he casually said while trying to avoid looking at her in the eyes.

His socks were more interesting anyways.

“Is everything okay at school?” she asked with a frown that made her look angry.

He nodded, he was doing pretty well with Mrs. Fear, even if it depended of her mood and a lot of things related to her well-being. It was during recesses that everything wasn’t fine. Magnus was too popular and too friendly for his own good. He always tried to please everyone who wanted to be friend with him without daring to say no. The competition was tough between Alec and the whole school, even more with Will that Magnus seemed to really like a lot.

“And with your friends?”

His best friendship with Magnus was doing pretty well despite the competition and his relationship with his classmates wasn’t that bad. He spoke to them, he just didn’t play with them. The problem only came from him and what he felt towards Magnus’ new friends.

His mom didn’t seem to believe him. “Really? Then why are you sad, grumpy and sullen when you come home?”

He shrugged which made her sigh and briefly closed her eyes. “Use your mouth to speak.”

“Because I still don’t have archery lessons,” he wittily answered. “And I’m bored.”

“As soon as an archery club will appear, you’ll be the first one to be enrolled,” she promised with an eye roll, exhausted to hear the same thing all the time. “Meanwhile you could do another sport like judo or maybe play football? Or swimming, you like swimming,” she suggested after seeing his pout. 

He only wanted to do archery, not any sport, just archery but he less and less believed that his dream would be fulfilled so he heaved a sigh and looked down at his socks.

“Alec, you’ll have archery lessons but later, when it’ll be possible,” she firmly said while standing up. “And hurry if you don’t want to be late, Magnus is probably waiting for you.”

He stared at her. Izzy was already taking a ballet class because she loved wearing the pink little tutu she had gotten and everyone agreed, she was cute, it suited her, but she wasn’t really into dancing and only shook her butt and her arms before jumping. She really thought she was already a great ballet dancer and no one dared to deny it.

She had only once said she wanted to wear a tutu and their parents had immediately found a dance class where they had enrolled her up while he was still waiting.

“Just wait a little longer, okay?” she murmured while stroking his hair.

“Yeah.”

He was used to wait a little longer, it was always like this.

“Take Church with you, otherwise he’ll go in the washing machine.”

She had almost killed him the other time when he had decided to take a nap there between several gray clothes, he had meowed just in time before she closed the door and turned it on. Church’s eyes narrowed when Alec bent down to take him, he silently hissed at him but didn’t move at all, resigned to be taken somewhere else.

Alec missed his fluffy fur, he took the risk to rest his chin on his soft little head before heading out for the living room. Church grumpily looked up, he hastened to release him on the couch, fearing to be scratched. The cat quickly jumped on the floor before hiding as soon as the phone rang.

Alec looked around, not sure to know where the phone was nor where the ringtone came from. Usually, it was in his parents’ bedroom but it seemed much closer, like in the kitchen, on the microwave.

After briefly wondering where he had put his toothbrush, he reached out to grab it.

“Hello?”

Where did it go? He was holding it before taking Church in his arms. His frown deepened.

“Alec? How are you doing? Happy to be seven now?” Hodge cheerfully said with a hoarse voice.

Alec’s lips curved into a little smile. He had invited him for his birthday but he hadn’t been able to come because he had been sick.

“Yeah,” he answered. “Mom’s busy.”

“I don’t mind, I wanted to tell you that your present is ready and waiting for you.”

Alec was now entirely focused on him, even if his mom just shouted that he had to hurry for the umpteenth time. She didn’t really care that he would be late, it was just all about picking up Izzy in her dance class on time.

“What kind of present?” he asked with curiosity. “A book? It’s a book.”

Hodge didn’t deny. “This isn’t any book, you’ll like it, come to get it after school someday.”

“Alec!” insisted his mother with his bag.

“I’m speaking to Hodge,” he retorted, annoyed that she had interrupted them.

“Greet your mom on my behalf, you have to go?”

“Yeah, at Magnus’.”

Maryse suddenly spotted the toothbrush he had dropped earlier on the carpet, near the couch, before shaking her head. Now his bag was ready, except him and he wasn’t ready to leave yet.

“How’s Magnus doing?” asked politely Hodge with fondness.

“Fine,” Alec mumbled while sticking the phone closer to his mouth. “He has a lot of friends,” he bitterly added.

Hodge snorted. “What about you?”

Alec didn’t answer and stared at his socks.

“What about school?” he then asked.

This time, Alec glanced at his mom going back and forth in the living room and chose to not answer this troublesome question.

“Is it that bad?” Hodge inquired with worry. “Alec?”

Now he was finally alone.

“No…Mrs. Pear is just awful, everyone calls her Mrs. Fear,” he naturally confessed. “And Magnus has new friends,’’ he lowly repeated while moving his toes.

Hodge remained silent. “You don’t like them?”

Not really and because of his behavior it was mutual.

“They don’t like me either,” he mumbled before heaving a sigh.

“Why?”

“Because I’m not friendly with them.”

“And why are you not friendly with them?”

Alec didn’t answer but he didn’t have to, Hodge had understood.

“I see,” he murmured. “Try to make your own friends then.”

Alec frowned when Church decided to slip through his legs to loudly drink in his bowl. “I can’t…,” he whispered to not be heard by his mother. “Magnus doesn’t want me to have new friends.”

He didn’t feel the need to add that even without this promise he wasn’t able to do so.

“And why he doesn’t want you to have new friends?”

Alec shrugged. “But it’s okay to be friends with his friends.”

“Did you do something?” suddenly asked Hodge.

“Alec,’’ sighed his mom before barging in the kitchen, frightening him and Church. “Hang up, you’ll talk to Hodge later.’’

Alec discreetly glared at her. He wanted to talk to him right now. She reached out to take the phone away from him but he squeezed it harder against his cheek.

“We’ll speak later then,” hastened to say Hodge. “Don’t forget to drop by for your present…and Alec, maybe you did something if Magnus made you promise to not make new friends, beside his.”

“Like what?” he asked with a worried frown, horrified that he could have been a bad friend.

“Ask him.”

And he hung up.

What did he mean by that? What could he have done to make Magnus ask this from him? He didn’t like the innuendo and didn’t want to think that he could have been a very bad friend.

Obviously, if Magnus had asked him to not make new friends it meant that he had done something, but what? No matter how hard he was thinking, he couldn’t remember anything related to a bad behavior as a best friend towards him.

It was okay to be friends with his friends and to still be friends with the previous ones from before and never Magnus had thrust him aside, not even once. Alec was the only one who felt threatened by everyone. And it was as if Magnus didn’t think he was able to behave like a best friend should if he made new friends.

The promise seemed to be a punishment and a precaution. He hadn’t seen it like this and it highly confused him, besides feeling very bad to have unknowingly hurt Magnus.

He nervously followed his mother outside and got in the car, the eyes empty.

“We can get your present Monday,” she said after making sure he had fastened his belt. “Why are you cranky?” she suddenly asked with a frown.

“I’m thinking,” he retorted with a frown. “Now you made me cranky,” he mumbled.

He had to apologize and ask what he had done. Thankfully Magnus still wanted to be his friend so it mustn’t have been serious.

He became more and more nervous and wished to never reach his destination, the time to be mentally ready to be surrounded by kids who weren’t really his enemies nor allies nor friends, and it made him incredibly worried.

He wasn’t friendly with anyone beside Magnus and the friends he had from before, it couldn’t last. The current situation began to burden him, moreover it was okay to befriend Magnus’ friends so he had to make some efforts otherwise if he carried on like this Magnus would definitely leave him for someone much more fun, like Will for example.

He no longer knew what he could do to not jeopardize their friendship and protect it.

He had to get used to the fact that Magnus didn’t feel the need to only have him as a friend. And Alec wanted Magnus so he had to make concessions. Even if it would be difficult.

His mother dropped him just in front of the huge gate and stared at him with concern. “Alec if you don’t want to go tell me.”

He didn’t really want to see all his classmates, seeing them at school was more than enough. He took a deep breath, almost forgot his bag –under the weary stare of his mom- and kissed her before trying to get out of the car but she didn’t let him go right away.

“Why are you like this?” she murmured with concern. “You don’t want to tell me?” she almost begged.

“It’s because I still don’t have my archery lessons,” he stubbornly answered.

Exasperated, she asked for a second kiss and let him go but stayed until he had crossed the gate, Alec turned around to wave his hand, he then glanced back at the he garden he had to cross and slowly walked towards the Banes’ mansion.

He involuntarily kicked his bag and winced before heading out for the carps cemetery where Marie-Antoinette had been buried. Since Jem had said that dead bodies made a good fertilizer, Alec and Magnus expected Marie-Antoinette’s grave to be incredibly beautiful and amazing despite her death that had occurred two years ago. But there was nothing, only grass and stones, which defined her grave and all the future ones for Mr. Bane’s still living carps.

Since then, Magnus no longer ate fish but was good at making graves.

With a last glance, he moved toward the stairs that he slowly climbed and didn’t have the time to knock nor to ring the bell, the door widely opened on an annoyed Magnus who seemed really upset.

“You’re late,” he complained with an eye-roll.

According to Alec’s hearing, all the school was indeed inside.

He sheepishly smiled. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Magnus haughtily said before smiling with mischief. “I forgive you.”

He hadn’t fully understood why he was apologizing.

“For everything,” he contritely added, hoping to be forgiven.

Magnus slightly frowned. “It’s okay,” he repeated before pulling him inside.

He looked fine, despite the _little_ party that his mother intended to organize every year for her dear Magnus, her precious little pumpkin, who seemed to get used to it. Not sure to be entirely forgiven for what he had apologized for and lost in thought, Alec bumped into him when he stopped in the entrance to grab a packet on the fancy console table, just below the huge golden mirror.

“It’s my surprise,” Magnus proudly said.

Alec lengthily stared at his sparkling eyes before putting his hands on the present. Magnus was as excited as he was inwardly and helped him to remove the wrapping paper, impatient to see his reaction.

It was a glass bottle with a dragon inside. It looked so real that Alec stuck his forehead against the glass in order to see better and to not miss any details.

“I did it,” Magnus proudly said with a smug face.

No wonder he looked so proud of himself. Speechless, Alec stared at the dragon which looked amazing and so real.

“How did you do that?”

Magnus’ smile widened, he was good at making impossible bottles and knew it. “Dad helped me but only a little,” he confessed.

Alec smiled and thanked him. He would have hugged him if some other kids hadn’t decided to interrupt their time together. It often happened, Magnus attracted people, could make friends easily and be swept as easily as well. And when it happened, Alec could only watched his best friend having fun without him and it hurt, but it didn’t prevent him to smile when Magnus glanced at him.

He didn’t follow him, not with his fragile present into his arms, and especially with all these children around. He watched Magnus being kidnapped by a kid he didn’t know, who seemed to be friends with Will, Chaph and the others.

He then spotted Jem with Tessa near the fountain. Everybody knew who Tessa was, she wasn’t in Magnus’ class but was friend with Will and Jem. She was infamous for having been locked up in the toilet for several hours by a 5th grade boy –rather mean-. Alec had never seen anyone cry as much as Izzy, which had done Tessa once she had been free. Jem had tried his best to comfort her while Will had fought with the boy until they both had been caught by Mrs. Herondale.

He would have liked to go near the fountain as well but didn’t want to have to say them hi as he didn’t know what to say aside that. He firmly and tightly held the bottle against him while moving toward the kitchen to hide his present that he intended to put in his bag. He incidentally bumped into the woman who was taking care of Jem, she was leaving after making sure that Jem seemed to have fun. She wasn’t his mother or a family member and Alec didn’t know if he had parents. She was like a nanny who babysat him all the time.

He came in the kitchen, the only safe place where there were no children and carefully put his present inside his bag where he had decided to hide it, just in case someone as turbulent as Will or Chaph came over here.

“Will did you see Magnus?”

 Alec turned around which made Mrs. Bane roll her eyes when she realized her mistake.

“Sorry Sweetie I mistook you for Will,” she apologized before walking towards him to greet him properly.

Alec, who was wondering how she could have made this mistake, got hugged and affectuously pinched. Mrs. Bane seemed happy to see him and hastened to ask if he liked his present. Alec nodded which made her smile. His reserve always made her smile.

“Give me your bag I’ll keep it in a safe place,” she said while stroking his hair.

She didn’t want him to stay in the kitchen obviously, Alec left her and went into the huge living room, looking for Magnus who wasn’t here. He couldn’t see him and didn’t really know where to go. His throat tightened when he thought back about his conversation with Hodge.

He couldn’t make new friends now, it was too late to be friendly with everyone and he didn’t want to force himself despite feeling slightly left out. It was no longer he and Magnus and this feeling crushed him hard.

Life was hard and he had to get used to it.

He even began to feel lonely even if he was surrounding by a bunch of classmates. He was going to isolate himself somewhere until he saw Tiffany, standing on a chair, the forehead stuck against the window. She finally turned her head, noticed him and slightly frowned.

“What are you doing?” he shyly asked.

“There’s a cat outside.”

And she moved to let him climb on the chair but it was too late the cat was already gone. They both sighed.

“What was he like?”

“Cute,” she simply answered.

Alec glanced at her and saw fit to come down. He didn’t want to look for Magnus anymore and secretly hoped that the latter would look for him, he was pretty sure that he was with Will and Jem anyways.

After spending some time by himself, walking around to avoid everyone, he went by the empty fountain. Mr. Bane must have put his carps upstairs to preserve them from the noise.

“What are you doing?”

He turned around and saw Aline with a puzzle box under her arm. It was the first time she talked to him and he felt slightly stupid for staring at the empty fountain for so long.

“Nothing,” he murmured.

Her friends didn’t seem to be here, she probably felt lonely so she grabbed his hand and took him in the other half of the living room, near the TV and the very comfy carpet. It was the first time they talked to each other, the first time they held hands so it was slightly too much for Alec who felt his heart beating very fast in his chest.

She didn’t ask him if he wanted to do the puzzle with her nor if he wanted to play with her, and even if she had, he wouldn’t have say no. Now, he was lying on his stomach trying to do a puzzle of 250 pieces with her. They bumped their forehead several times when they looked for the missing pieces in the box but didn’t talk that much and didn’t even do that much, despite Tiffany’s help who quickly quitted to have more fun somewhere else.

This puzzle was hard and the pieces were too tiny.

“My dad and your dad are friends,” Aline suddenly said while glancing up at him.

“I know,” Alec said why turning a piece upside down.

And suddenly a feet -with a red sock- appeared out of nowhere and destroyed the little pieces they had finally managed to put together. Aline’s face twitched and she stared at him with wide eyes, horrified by what had just happened, while Alec straightened up to glare at Will who seemed to be as horrified as them for what he had done.

“I’m sorry, I wanted to jump above you,” he sheepishly said with a wince that looked more like a smile to Alec.

Aline scolded him and asked him to redo what he had undone with his feet. Alec was going to ask him where Magnus was when he noticed something familiar in his right hand: the blue car he had given to Magnus by mistake in kindergarten. Why did he have this? he wondered while glaring at him and at this moment he only felt hatred towards him.

“Where did you get that?” he lowly asked.

Will shrugged. “On the floor.”

“Where?”

Will frowned. “On the floor when I was with Jem.”

Alec reached out to take the little blue car, which Will hastened to do without any complaint but with reluctance, following his tone and attitude towards him. He could now definitely say goodbye to his future friendship with him that he had seriously considered. Feeling a little shameful, he quickly left to check if anyone had taken Magnus’ little cars before going upstairs.

_Where is he?_

Magnus was nowhere to be found, he wasn’t in his room where Alec put back the little car where it belonged with the others on the shelf and checked if something else was missing before staring at the two extra mattresses, which meant that he wouldn’t be the only one who would be here for the sleepover tonight.

It was no longer the two of them.

“Hands up!” Magnus shouted behind him before closing the door and throwing himself at him to affectuously hug him. “Where were you? I looked for you everywhere!”

Alec couldn’t move as he was too tightly hugged but he felt incredibly happy to finally be alone with Magnus even for a few minutes.

“What about you?”

“I was playing with Einstein and Plenty Coups,” he said before pulling his arm to take him in one of the bathrooms.

Alec didn’t ask for who was one of the mattresses and followed him, happy and relieved that the both of them were finally together.

 

He had dumbly assumed that one of the mattresses would have been for him and the other one for Will. They were for Will _and_ Jem so he naturally wondered where he would sleep. They all were supposed to be close enough to sleep together while Alec wasn’t ready for that at all.

Magnus slightly frowned. “You’ll sleep with me, like always,” he said in an obvious tone before patting the empty space next to him in the bed.

Will was sulking because Alec had inadvertently ignored him when he had tried to apologize for the puzzle accident. When Alec had realized what he had done it was too late, he had rejected Will’s friendly attempt to be friends under Jem’s weary eyes.

Magnus had then learned that someone had taken one of his little cars and had checked them to make sure they weren’t damaged before bragging that it was his first present ever from a friend with a proud stare towards an embarrassed Alec. Jem and Will had exchanged a glance without saying anything as if they had understood why Alec was behaving like a grumpy and jealous cat.

Mrs. Bane rested her tired body against the door in a tragic way, probably relieved that all those kids were gone, she had just finished to put back all the carps in the fountain, given that her husband was in a business trip for several days.

She had helped them to shower and had been unable to prevent a water fight, Magnus had won and had been scolded for keeping his clothes on just to not show the scar he had on his chest. He didn’t seem to be comfortable enough to show it to anybody and it was clearly a way to avoid Jem and Will’s questions.

“Alec moves a lot in his sleep,” warned Mrs. Bane when Jem intended to lie down in his bed next to Magnus’ one, on the side where Alec would sleep.

Jem frowned, wondering if it would be dangerous for him to sleep here. Magnus shrugged, he didn’t care he was used to it. Will seemed pretty happy to sleep at the foot of the bed and taunted Jem with a wide smile, while Alec hoped to not move at all during the night.

He was inwardly extremely happy to have the special privilege to sleep with Magnus in his bed but also knew that it was a way to be there for him whenever he had a nightmare. Alec wouldn’t say that he was more efficient than a dreamcatcher because Magnus still had nightmares when he was here, but Magnus recovered faster when he woke up during the night and saw that Alec was beside him.

The faceless woman was still there and not ready to leave anytime soon to let Magnus finally have a peaceful night.

As soon as Alec got into Magnus’ bed, he got tightly squeezed –like would have been a pillow or a cuddly toy- in order to be neutralized and to prevent any moves. This was what Magnus said at least, but Alec knew he was clinging to him mainly because he was scared.

Magnus contentedly nuzzled closer before closing his eyes, ready to sleep, while his mother made sure they all were comfortably settled.

“Good night my little pumpkins,” she whispered.

“Good night,” they answered together.

Alec and Magnus were gazing at each other when she turned the light off and closed the door. Jem suddenly whined in pain.

“Sorry Smarty-pants,” whispered Will.

Alec winced when he got crushed under Will’s weight. “What are you doing?”

“He’s crushing everyone,” mumbled Jem who still seemed to be in pain.

Magnus released Alec to make room for Will in the bed and Alec had to do the same for a reluctant Jem that Will was pulling by the arm.

“Sorry,” he apologized.

Alec didn’t say anything, not very happy that the bed was invaded.

“Let’s tell scary stories!” loudly said Will with excitation.

Jem sighed while Magnus grabbed the flashlight he had under his bed. He turned it on, pointed at Will who winced. Jem didn’t seem that excited and looked slightly scared even if he was trying to not show it. Will and Magnus were the only ones who were looking forward to making scary stories.

Their stories weren’t that scary as Alec had fallen asleep to wake up in Jem’s bed. He had moved so much in his sleep that he had fallen on top of him, which didn’t seem to bother him that much. Thanks to the flashlight that was still on, he could see that he was awake and was staring at the ceiling. Embarrassed, he slightly moved his leg that was on him and then realized that he wasn’t the only one who was on Jem’s bed. Magnus had followed him in his fall and was soundly asleep. No wonder he felt cramped and uncomfortable, trapped as he was between two bodies.

“You move a lot,” whispered Jem.

“Sorry.”

He carefully removed Magnus’ arm and leg from him in order to get up, he had to pee. Jem also stood up to follow him and he apologized again, he probably had wanted to get up for a while but hadn’t been able to do so because of him.

They both snorted when they saw Will’s sleeping position and hastened to get out to not wake them up.

“I missed a lot of stories?” he asked with worry, the last story he could remember was the White Lady.

Jem shrugged. “Not really.”

Himself hadn’t missed anything given that he had been too scared to fall asleep and that Alec had prevented to do so when he had wanted to rest into the arms of Morpheus.

“Sorry.”

It was awkward and he hastened to close himself into a bathroom to avoid him. Jem was really smart and incredibly mature so he was always scared to do something stupid and didn’t want to feel stupid or immature whenever he was with him.

Once he had done his thing, he went out from the bathroom to find Jem who was waiting for him with the flashlight.

“I’m thirsty.”

Alec smiled. He could have gone by himself if he wasn’t scared. “You’re scared.”

It wasn’t a question but Jem denied, he wasn’t scared he just didn’t want to go downstairs by himself. Alec wasn’t thirsty but didn’t mind to go with him. Jem stared at him and closely followed him in the long corridor.

It was pretty fun to walk in the dark with a flashlight and his smile widened when Jem got startled upon hearing the carps in the fountain. Alec shed light on the fountain, which enlightened the water in a very pretty way. Excited, he quickly turned towards Jem, frightening him.

“You scared me,’’ he whined before clinging to him.

“Sorry,” said Alec who didn’t feel sorry at all.

He couldn’t hide his smile but did his best to not show his face, not wanting to be glared at or to earn the I’m-judging-you stare. Besides, Jem probably thought he was dumb. For now, he was staring with curiosity at the carps swimming in the bottom.

Alec lengthily gazed at his face. “Where are your parents?” he lowly asked.

Jem glanced up, surprised. “In China, my dad is a diplomat and my mom a doctor.”

“Why are you not with them?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want him to be here, it was just weird that he wasn’t with them.

Jem’s slanted eyes slightly narrowed. “A child would have been a burden for them, that’s why they left me here,” he simply and casually answered.

Alec blinked, feeling sad for him. “They didn’t want to bring you with them?”

Jem shook his head and for the first time, Alec saw something else on his face where until now he had only seen boredom, smartness and maturity. Jem looked sad and lonely. Alec automatically took his hand to lead him in the kitchen for a glass of water.

He didn’t know who was the most surprised between them by this gesture but Jem was too polite to remove his hand from his.

“That’s why you have a nanny?”

Jem nodded. “She takes care of me because she has a very good salary.”

Alec turned the light on in the kitchen while still holding his hand, not knowing when he had to let go but Jem knew and released his hand.

“Why you don’t want to be my friend?” he suddenly asked when Alec gave him a glass of water.

Alec’s eyes widened and he winced, not knowing what to say to not hurt him. “Why, you want to be my friend?” he shyly asked as if he couldn’t believe that Jem wanted to befriend him.

Jem frowned. “You don’t drink?”

He had forgotten his supposedly thirst and hastened to take a glass that he filled with water.

“You know, I won’t steal Magnus from you and Will neither,” he added.

So he knew why he was behaving like this. Alec was exposed, completely and totally exposed.

“It’s not too late to be friend with you?” Alec hesitantly asked, feeling really uncomfortable.

Now he wanted to be friends with Magnus’ friends. They weren’t his enemies and appreciated Magnus as he did, if not less. They had one thing in common: Magnus, and it was okay to be friends with them.

Moreover, Alec had enough to behave like he did towards them. It had to change. Like this, Magnus and his parents would be less worried and mingling with them would make him feel less left out.

Magnus had new friends and Alec wanted Magnus so it was a good deal.

“I thought we were friends,” stated Jem with a slight frown. “Not very friends-friends but still friends.”

“Not yet,” Alec corrected him, confusing him even more. “But let’s be friends.”

Jem stared at him. “You’re weird, but yeah, let’s be friends for real now.”

Alec doubted that he would no longer feel jealous but having a new friend felt nice indeed. Jem didn’t mention Will but suddenly smiled as if he was thinking about something funny.

“I’m not weird, you are,’’ Alec felt the need to clarify.

Jem looked seriously offended and his reaction was so funny that Alec’s smile widened.

“I might be weird but I’m not always jealous,” he grumpily retorted.

It hurt, they stared at each other for a while.

Alec was no longer smiling and Jem seemed to realize that he had really hurt him with his words. Alec could have said with confidence that it was because he cared a lot about Magnus, that it was because they were best friends and because he was stupid but nothing came out from his mouth.

All in all, he wasn’t sure if he still wanted to be friends with Jem.

“What are you doing?” asked the sleepy voice of Magnus in the entrance of the kitchen.

He rubbed his cheek and stared at them with a frown, especially at Alec before doing the same with Jem.

“Nothing,” Alec mumbled with a glance for Jem who immediately shut his mouth.

Magnus still stared at Jem and glanced at him before also drinking a glass of water. Alec and Jem clearly avoided to look at each other but Jem discreetly attempted to apologize with his eyes when they had to go upstairs.

But as Alec hadn’t noticed this attempt to reconcile, he heaved a sigh and suddenly grabbed his hand in the stairs without saying anything to not make Magnus inquired about the reason of his apologize.

Magnus, who was holding the flashlight, didn’t immediately notice their hands but when he did, he frowned and glared at Jem who couldn’t release Alec’s hand given that the latter had squeezed it to accept his apology and just in case he would still be scared.

Jem rolled his eyes before mumbling “are you kidding me?” And Magnus went on Alec’s left side just to be able to hold his other hand.

Once in the corridor, Alec finally noticed Jem’s embarrassed look and hastened to free his hand, feeling slightly stupid to have held it the whole time. Jem heaved a sigh, glanced at him and passed them while running to arrive faster in the room.

Alec was pretty sure he was pretending to sleep when they came in whereas Will hadn’t moved at all and was still soundly asleep. Magnus didn’t complain that he had moved a lot during his sleep and sleepily and tightly hugged him before falling asleep for good.

He didn’t dare to hug him the same but nuzzled his head closer the heart swelled with joy.

“I’m sorry,’’ whispered Jem after moving. “We’re still friends?”

He didn’t have to be sorry, what he had said was true.

“Yeah.”

Jem let out a relieved sigh. “Good night and don’t you dare fall on me.”

“I’ll try.”

And Magnus squeezed Alec tighter against him.

*

Alec’s throat tightened and his heart started racing when Mrs. Fear asked him his homework notebook. He reluctantly gave it to her, not knowing what he could have done to have a note written in red for his parents.

She wanted to see them and he didn’t know why.

He had good grades, behaved and was a good kid. Maybe not after all.

Once at home, he had a hard time choosing to whom he would show the red note as his parents were for once both at home. His dad was as usual in his study and his mom was playing with Izzy in the living room.

Alec didn’t where to go but his steps automatically lead him towards his father, probably because he was alone and, for once, at home early. But he was also the only one who could get really scary when he was angry, and this note could make him very mad.

He had made a pretty bad choice but it was too late, he had already knocked at his door.

“I’m busy.”

Alec still came in, sheepishly.

“What is it?” Robert sighed with weariness.

“Hum…you have to read something,” he nervously said while putting his textbook under his nose.

Robert frowned, put aside what he was doing, and Alec intently stared at his dad’s face when he read what Mrs. Fear had written. His father then glanced at him.

“What did you do?”

Alec winced. “I don’t know,” he murmured.

“Then why does she want to see me?”

Alec shrugged, relieved that it didn’t make him more angry than that.

“You’re doing great at school?”

Alec hastened to nod, it had gotten better, way better than before.

“Nobody’s messing with you?”

“No.”

He didn’t need anyone to bother him and already did a great job by annoying himself with himself.

“So why does Mrs…?”

“Fear, Pear,” he quickly corrected himself.

“So why does Mrs. Pear want to see me if everything’s fine?” he asked once again while staring at him in the eyes.

Alec really didn’t know and regretted to have gone to him for this, he should have known that his mom would have been a better choice. But the great thing about his dad was that he didn’t say anything about the matter during diner or even after, which Alec was grateful for.

It was their little secret for now and not even the sixth sense of his mother could have detected this.

 

The day after, Alec waited for his dad inside the classroom with Mrs. Fear. She had taken the chair of Amanda and was facing him with weariness. She discreetly glanced at her watch before staring at Alec who seriously wished that this ordeal would end soon.

“Your mother is late.”

Alec didn’t dare to say that it was his dad who would come and nervously squeezed his hands under the table. The door suddenly opened, and his father who was not as late as he had already been for various occasions, looked inside the classroom, not sure to be where he should be, dressed in one of his fancy costume.

He didn’t look angry but glad to have found them on his first try.

Mrs. Pear straightened up to great him. “Mr. Lightwood,” she politely said before reaching out to shake his hand.

“Mrs. Fear,” he greeted her, which made Alec gasped inwardly.

He had called her _Mrs. Fear_ , he couldn’t believe he had done this and stared at him with a wince and wide eyes when he sat next to him while Mrs. Pear was looking at him, wondering if she had heard correctly.

“Mrs. **P** ear,” she properly introduced herself. “I have convened you to talk about Alec and his last test.”

Robert wasn’t listening and was looking around with amusement before hitting one of his leg against the table, too tall to sit like Alec. He winced but not as much as Alec who realized his mistake: his mom would have been a better choice.

“Did he get a bad grade? Usually, he’s doing well it’s just an accident, it happens,” he said with a frown before glancing down at Alec who tensed up.

Mrs. Pear looked at him as if he was a seven yeasr old kid. “He did great, I just feel concerned about one of his answers in this test where they had to express themselves through different questions.”

Alec didn’t hold her gaze for a long time and immediately stared at his hands.

“Do you remember yours answers Alec?”

He looked up, both of them were staring at him.

“What was your answer for describing school in one word?”

Robert then glanced at her, the same way he did when Izzy asked him to do the horse for her or when his mom asked him something that greatly annoyed him. Alec didn’t need to answer, she was pulling out from an orange file his test where a big _well done_ was written.

His father blinked when he had Alec’s answer under his nose. The word _Hell_ had been circled several times with a red pen to emphasize its incongruity.

“So?” his dad asked with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t like school either.”

Mrs. Pear looked pretty shook and her eyes widened. “Mr. Lightwood, your son chose this word to describe the environment where he is currently growing up, it is not a word to use lightly,” she added with a frown.

“Did you wander in Hodge’s religious books?” his dad whispered, which made Alec blankly stared at him.

He sighed and ruffled his hair.

“Alec reads a lot,” he explained. “He came across this word, must have thought that it would make a great answer for this question and here we go, right?”

Alec nodded, happy with this explanation, and Mrs. Fear stared at him.

“What is Hell for you Alec, describe it with your own words.”

Robert discreetly glanced at his wrist before looking at the ceiling and closing his eyes.

“Hum…it’s a place where people suffer?” he hesitantly answered with a wince.

“And why did you link this word to school? Do you suffer here? Do your classmates bully you?”

“No,” Alec breathed out.

She then asked a lot of weird question to his dad about how he was at home, how his parents were usually as if she was trying to figure out what the problem was but she came to conclude that Alec was just reading too much.

“Do you like going to school?”

He shrugged. It depended. She hummed but because Robert seemed to be in a hurry and was intensely looking at her to show her that she had made him lose his precious time. She didn’t insist, she couldn’t anyways.

“See you tomorrow Alec,” she lowly said while giving him his test that he could take with him.

Given how quickly his father was walking, he was upset or at least not very happy to have lost his time. In three strides, he had already crossed the playground while Alec had just come out of his classroom. He sighed and ran after him, worried to be left behind. His dad was waiting for him next to his car, the passenger door opened. Alec quickly got inside.

“No wonder you call her Mrs. Fear,” Robert finally said with a sigh. “And sorry about that I only remembered her nickname when I saw her…Mrs. Pear,” he murmured for himself with a smile. “Why did you use this word to describe school?”

“It sounded right,” Alec mumbled while fastening his belt.

“Because of her?”

Alec stubbornly stared at his shoes which made his dad sigh. He was thinking about how mad Izzy would be because they were late to pick her up until he realized that they weren’t going to the kindergarten or at home. He frowned, especially when his dad parked the car in a little street where there was a very great ice-cream shop.

Maybe his dad wanted to eat an ice cream, not a single second he thought that he would be able to eat an ice cream in September and suspiciously followed him into the empty colorful shop, wondering if he had to reminded of the diet he had obviously forgotten for a while now.  

“What do you want?” Robert asked while looking at all the flavors they could get with some chocolate or whipped cream extras.

Alec already knew what he would pick but worriedly glanced at him. “And Izzy?”

“She’s with Hodge,” his father absently said before making his choice with a lot of whipped cream.

They had the same taste concerning ice cream and both picked hazelnuts and chocolate with a lot of whipped cream.

“Don’ tell your mom,” he whispered after paying.

Alec promised and happily sat next to the window. His dad snorted and put their ice creams in front of him.

“And don’t tell Izzy.”

He nodded and took a big spoon of whipped cream before licking his lips. They ate in silence but Robert often glanced at him with hesitation, not knowing if he could say what he had in mind right away nor how to say them to a seven years old boy.

He cleared his throat. “You know Alec, it won’t last, you’ll only have your teacher for one year and then another one. You just have to bear with her for one year and it’ll be over. It’s often like this, either you have to grin and bear it until you can’t do it any longer or either until it gets better.”

Alec had stopped eating and was now trying to understand what he was saying.

“You know, before I worked for someone in a huge office, I had to grin and bear it for a very long time.”

“Why?”

“He wasn’t a great boss, I had expectations and yearned for something better… I had to resign, now I’m working by myself and it’s much better.”

Alec frowned. “So, you’re happy now?”

“It’s better.”

“But I can’t resign,” Alec realized before wondering why he had told him that.

His dad snorted. “Exactly so you have to grin and bear it.”

Alec chose this moment to noisily drink with his straw the remaining of his ice cream under the weary gaze of his father.

“But you can also make an effort. You’re doing great at school but you’re too quiet for your own good, you have to socialize more otherwise you’ll become someone who get pushed around.”

Alec blankly stared at him. “But I have friends.”

“You’re too withdrawn into yourself, it has to change,” his dad firmly said while straightening up on his yellow chair. “I’ve signed you up for archery lessons.”

Stunned by what he had said before and trying to figure out what he had meant, Alec didn’t react and stared at him with confusion and distrust.

“I’ve signed you up for archery lessons,” he repeated, hoping to have another reaction from him but Alec looked only suspicious. “But you’ll have to do another sport as it’s quite individualistic. What do you think about judo or a combat sport? It’ll do you some good, you always look cranky, frustrated and in your bubble, like this you’ll blow off some steam, socialize and be more relaxed. Archery for focusing –and because you’re pretty annoying about that- and a combat sport to feel better, what do you think? And you cannot have one without the other.”

So he would really have archery lessons, he couldn’t believe it and lengthily stared at him with narrowed eyes. He would have been even more excited if his father hadn’t felt the need to add a condition.

“When do the archery lessons begin?”

Robert slightly smiled. “Next month, so? Judo is pretty fun, I did some when I was younger, there’s a lot of sports, you can pick something else. I just want you to take upon yourself and…well, let’s say force yourself to do things that you’ll never do. It’ll shape you and you’ll thank me later.”

If it was the only way to have archery lessons and to make his happy, then yes Alec would force himself and take upon himself to be the person he wanted him to be, even if it would be hard.

“Okay,” he agreed.

Robert smiled. “You’ll like it.”

If he said so, wanted to believe Alec who wanted another ice cream.

*

He was staring at his family tree with skepticism. His homework was done but he could feel that something was definitely missing. Like more relatives.

His dad was here, his mom was here, Izzy was here and he was here but that was all. The Lightwoods were not a big family and he felt that he wouldn’t have a good grade with so little people in his family tree.

“Mom!’’ he called with a frown.

Maryse stopped ironing before the TV and moved closer to the table. “What is it?’’ she asked before seeing his homework.

“Can I add Church?’’

“He’s a cat, not a relative.’’

“He’s part of the family.’’

“He’s a cat,’’ she said once again with a smile before sitting next to him and taking his homework notebook.

“Why there’s only us?’’ he lowly asked with a glance.

“Well, you can’t really choose.’’

His mom’s face had hardened and she read again the instruction of the exercise. “I don’t think you can put dead people here.’’

“They’re no longer considered as family once they’re dead?’’ he uncertainly asked.

Apparently not, given the stare of his mom. He always knew that he didn’t have grandparents but had never dared to ask why and still didn’t dare to do so. Besides, the instruction weren’t clear about the family tree and whether he could add dead relatives into it or not.

Maryse shrugged and Alec added them after having waited for her to give him their names. He briefly wondered how it would have been to have grandparents and smiled.

Izzy dared to ask why they were dead when she discovered that their parents had had parents before.

“I’ve been a child before, a long time ago,’’ Maryse snorted. “Your dad too.’’

“So, why are they dead?’’ Alec asked.

“Your dad has never known his dad, he was a lawyer, he got killed by a person he had defended.’’

Alec’s eyes widened. “Why?’’

“He wasn’t happy with his,’’ she explained while staring at the family tree.

“And grandmother?’’ Izzy asked.

“She died from cancer.’’

“She was sick?’’

“Yes, she suffered a lot.’’

Izzy’s lips curved into a sad pout and she rested her chin on the table, like a sad puppy.

“How old was dad?’’ Alec murmured who had a hard time to imagine his dad as a little boy.

“He was 20…,’’ she absently said before taping the family tree with her finger, just next to her name. “Add Maxwell Trueblood, Alec, it was my brother’s name,’’ she softly added.

Izzy and he didn’t have the time to ask if he was alive or not.

“He died with my parents in a car accident when I was 18, during their vacation in England, I had a student job at that time so I wasn’t with them,’’ she stated.

Alec looked up and saw her watery eyes but didn’t move and just stared at her, waiting for her to cry for good. Izzy frowned and immediately hugged her and began to comfort her, as she would have done with Church or one of her dolls.

Their mother blinked, which prevented her tears to run down her cheeks, and cleared her throat before  kissing Izzy and sniffling as if nothing had happened.

“You’re a lot like him,’’ she said to her before pinching her cheek.

“Then, he must have been really annoying,” Alec muttered.

Izzy glared at him before nuzzling her face against their mom’s chest.

“Alec, don’t say that,’’ she gently scolded him.

She then told them some anecdotes about him that made them smile, and even said that it was what had brought their dad and her closer in their sorrow when they were university students.

After writing down the name of his uncle, that he would never know if not through his mother’s memory, she showed them some pictures of him and of their grandparents until Robert came back.

Izzy ran towards to hug him, thing that she almost never did before.

“What did you do?” he suspiciously asked before taking her in his arms.

He finally noticed the photo album in the middle of the table but didn’t say. He just stared in silent at the pictures of his parents with Izzy in his arms.

“Alec has to do a family tree,’’ Maryse explained.

And there were more dead relatives than alive ones.

“And Hodge?’’ he asked. “Can I add him?”

Robert smiled. “He’s not a relative.”

Alec frowned and sighed. He couldn’t add Church, he couldn’t add Hodge, he couldn’t add anyone, no wonder their family tree was this empty despite having added his uncle and grandparents who were dead. It wasn’t their fault of course but still it felt empty.

However, it didn’t prevent him to write Hodge’s name and Church’s one when he had to draw a cross for each of his dead relatives, just below their names. Hodge had become an uncle from his dad’s side as he was too old to be a big brother and Church naturally became a sibling.

Family was indeed fragile but precious and he wanted to ask Mrs. Fear if only relatives could be considered as such. He proudly stared at his family tree and winced when his dad glanced at what he was doing just before dinner. He sighed and just ruffled his hair.

“The family will get bigger once you and your sister will start a family,’’ he lowly said. “Put that away before your mom sees that,’’ he whispered.

Alec hastened to do so to protect this family tree with two impostures. He stared one last time at the names of his relatives with a twinge and put his homework away in his schoolbag.

 

The day after, Magnus proudly showed him his family tree that he also had to do.  Alec was relieved to see that he wasn’t the only one who had felt the need to add the family pet, Magnus had added all his dad’s koi carps in the family tree, beside his foster parents, his grandparents, some uncles and aunts, cousins, which made a lot of people.

“There’s a lot of a dead person in your family,’’ Jem commented while showing them his family tree which was almost empty, especially in his mother’s side because of the one child policy in China. But he had relatives from his dad’s side, not a lot but some.

“Where’s Will?’’ asked Magnus while Alec was trying to explain to Jem why he had felt the need to put a cat in his family tree.

“It’s stupid.”

“I’m not stupid.”

“I didn’t say that you’re stupid but that your way of thinking is,’’ Jem said without noticing how much he hurt him with his words, especially with his tone. “A family tree can only be composed of human beings and a cat is a living being, but it’s not human, you can’t be related to a cat’’ he added, just in case Alec didn’t know such a basic thing.

Jem was definitely too brainy for his own good and he didn’t like feeling stupid, especially because of him.

“You don’t have a cat, you can’t understand,’’ Alec haughtily retorted. “And you’re very mean,’’ he grumpily added.

“Then, I’m also stupid because I’ve added fishes in my family tree?’’ asked Magnus with a frown, highly displeased.

Jem sighed and rolled his eyes. Alec was glad to not be the only stupid one and brightly smiled at Magnus.

“Anyway, it’s fake,’’ the latter mumbled. “So one carp or two won’t make a big difference.”

Jem blinked and clearly felt bad about them being now in a bad mood but he was more awkward than Alec would ever be with people, so he didn’t apologize.

“Not only you think that you are stupid but you are also very touchy,’’ he mumbled for himself.

Alec liked how weirdly smart he was and stopped being upset to admire how clever he sounded.

“You’re always judging us,’’ Magnus protested.

Jem pursed his lips. “I’m not judging you…and I didn’t say that you were stupid. You did,” he insisted before understanding that he had to apologize. "Sorry,’’ he suddenly and lowly said, probably remembering what Will had said to him about how hurtful he could be with his words.

Still, he could be very nice and was very nice when he wasn’t dissing them unintentionally. Alec wasn’t mad and stared at him for a while to tease him but his lips curved into a little smile when Jem began to pout and to frown until he got asked what he had drawn just below his name in his family tree.

“It’s my Chinese name,’’ he said with a smug face. “Ke Jian Ming.”

Alec glanced at Magnus’ family tree, none of his Indonesian origins could be seen on the paper. Disappointed because he still wanted to know what was his Indonesian name, he sighed and rolled his eyes when he saw Will running towards them like a cannon ball and reaching them violently when he jumped on Jem’s back who fell down face forward.

Magnus brightly smiled while Alec was glaring at him for having made Jem fall but the latter stood back with his I’m-judging-you stare.

“Sorry,’’ Will enthusiastically apologized, not sorry at all, while Jem was judging him.

And as always, as soon as he was there, Magnus was entirely focused on him. Alec sighed inwardly, he just had to get used to it and for now, he was doing great, but only seemingly. Deep inside, it was still painful having to share him with everyone.

He stopped staring at him and glanced at Jem who was quietly _staring_ at him. They silently stared at each other in silent until Jem took something in his pocket.

“You can have it, I don’t like that kind of candy.”

Alec frowned. He already had seen him eat this kind of candy and gluttonously. Still, he graciously took this little present. He slightly felt better, especially when the prickly candy began to melt on his tongue.

“Thanks.”

Jem smiled. He was nice and Alec couldn’t hate him even if he wanted to. There was nothing to hate in him, he was just jealous that he was in the same class as Magnus and that they were getting closer and closer. Same with Will that he still didn’t know as well as him. It could explain why he felt more wary and threatened by him, and even more likely to hate him for no reason.

Alec felt guilty because they were nice and were just trying to be friends with him and not only because he was a friend of Magnus.

“What about me?’’ asked Will before shaking Jem by the arm, making him roll his eyes.

Magnus still cared about him like before and he just had been the only one who had wallowed into worries about their best friendship. He still didn’t know what he had done to promise to not make new friends and felt too bad about it to dare to ask him, just in case it would be a painful memory, and because he didn’t really to know either.

Magnus heaved a sigh, startling Alec who blinked. Jem was showing his empty pockets to a hungry Will and a Magnus full of expectations.

“I don’t have any left!” he complained. “Alec ate the last one!”

Will’s blue eyes focused on Alec who clenched his fist, which nosily crumpled the sweet wrapper.

“Ask your sister?’’ he suggested.

Will didn’t seem mad but there was this distance between them, they were not close enough to fool around and it was often awkward between them. He probably could feel that Alec didn’t like him that much and naturally kept his distance from him. Especially when he had rejected his friendly attempts several times.

Something should be done and Alec knew that he had to be friendlier, hoping that Will wouldn’t reject him as he had done previously.

Luckily for them, Magnus was here and discovered with surprise what had been candies –obviously forgotten given how crushed they were- on the bottom of his schoolbag.

“I won’t eat that,’’ protested Will who immediately stopped making a fuss about it. “And stopped looking at me like that,’’ he said to Jem and to his I’m-judging-you stare.

Alec didn’t mind and took some, which made Magnus extremely happy.

 

He got a fair for his family tree but he didn’t mind, especially when Mrs. Fear insisted to explain in front of everyone that, as Jem had said a few days before, a cat couldn’t be a relative. Some of his classmates chuckled, except Aline who was staring at Mrs. Fear with narrowed eyes. She seriously seemed to resent her for having made her burst in tears and for getting a mere fair for her poem.

If only Church knew that he had made a fool of himself in front of everyone just for his sake, maybe he would let him hug him. Alec needed a fluffy hug even if this damn grumpy and ungrateful cat wouldn’t cooperate.

Mrs. Fear finally let him alone and Alec hastened to put away his homework that he intended to keep preciously. When he looked up, Aline was staring at him and as soon as she noticed that he had seen her staring at him, turned around to talk to one of her friends as if nothing had happened.

He definitely had to be friendlier, not too much, because it was impossible and because he didn’t want Magnus to feel left out if he managed to make friends of his own. First, he had to be friend with Will. He had a plan and an eraser to get a candy that he would give to him to apologize and to bribe him in case his friendship application wouldn’t work.

Jem had said that it would work because Will was quite simple. Alec hadn’t really understood what he had meant by _simple_ but would try his best despite being extremely nervous.

At the end of the day, he was so nervous and so quiet that Magnus got worried and asked him if he was sick.

“Alec, Alec, Alec, Alec, Alec, Alec, Alec, Alec, Alec, Alec, Alec, Alec,’’ he repeated to make him react.

Alec ignored him but quickly glanced at his pout with a slight smile, entirely focused on Will who waved at them, ready to leave. Magnus then hugged him and Alec hastened to do the same when he felt his grip tightening around his neck. Satisfied, Magnus contentedly gazed at him before leaving to go to the dentist.

Relieved, Alec watched him walk away while Jem came next to him.

“Will left.’’

“No, he’s still waiting for his mom,’’ Alec weakly said before taking a deep breath.

Jem nodded and patted his shoulder. “Don’t chicken out,” he snorted before mimicking a chicken.

His nanny was already here and he stopped fooling around to solemnly walk towards her, she smiled and took his bag, while Jem turned around to make sure that he wouldn’t chicken out.

 _I can do it,_ he thought, the heart madly pounding in is chest and the candy ready in his hand. He slowly, very slowly walked towards Will who was standing next to the gate, he was so slow that a snail or even a turtle would be quicker than him.

He walked faster when Will noticed him and stared at him. Usually Alec didn’t pay attention to him and didn’t bother to say goodbye, despite feeling uncomfortable about it, hence Will’s surprise when Alec stood –quite awkwardly and red as a lobster- in front of him.

His heart was beating so fast that he forgot to breathe. “Let’s be friends,’’ he blurted out.

He didn’t look up, he didn’t dare and he almost forgot to bribe him with the candy that had cost him his eraser. He didn’t have to wait a long time before feeling Will’ hand in his.

“Okay,’’ he said before eating the peace gift.

Alec looked up, puzzled that it had gone so well. Jem was right, Will was simple, which was a good thing.

“I don’t hate you,’’ he felt the need to add to explain his behavior.

But he didn’t really like either.

Will didn’t seem to care as he was eating his favorite candy while looking at him. “Really? You didn’t want to be friend with me before.”

“That was before.”

His eyes narrowed as if he was trying to guess why he had suddenly changed his mind. “I know why,’’ he teased him with a grin.

“Why?” asked uncertainly Alec who didn’t want to seem even more stupid with his jealousy.

“Because you saw that I was a great,’’ he confidently said.

Alec blinked, stared at his bright smile and wondered if he had to lie. He was confident, was friendly, was a leader and was rather fun so it kind of made him great.

“Yeah.”

But he knew that he knew why he didn’t want to be friend with him before and why he had changed his mind.

“Now that we’re friend I’ll tell you a secret,’’ Will whispered but Alec suspiciously glanced at him when he saw a mischief gleam in his eyes. His new friend moved closer to make sure that no one would listen to them before sticking his mouth against his ear. “Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy don’t exist.”

“How do you know?” he immediately asked with a frown.

Will’s smile widened. “Ella told me.”

“And how does she know?”

“Someone told her,’’ he answered with an obvious tone.

It made sense, deep inside Alec had always known it despite his parents and Hodge lies that he had decided to believe. It could explain why the Tooth Fairy wasn’t always fair whenever she took a teeth in exchange of some money. Magnus had gotten two hundred dollars for a single tooth once whereas Alec only had gotten one dollar.

Besides, since Hodge had told him that the Tooth Fairy was a little mouse in several countries, he had begun to imagine a mouse with wings –like a little fairy-, which was quite ugly in his imagination.

The truth was better, way better and his parents incredibly stingy.

“Do you know how babies are made?’’ he suddenly asked.

Will frowned. “Boys are born in cabbages and girls in roses, right?”

Alec no longer believed in these so different ways to make babies: storks, fairies, cabbages, roses, seeds, kisses, it didn’t make sense. And he knew that sometimes he could hear something from his parents’ bedroom at night, making him think that it could be related to babies but he didn’t know how and in what way exactly.

“I don’t know.”

Now, Will seemed confused but he didn’t have the time to ask him more about it as his mom had come to get him, he and his sister.

For the first time, Alec said goodbye to him, shyly and awkwardly, while Will was asking his mother how babies were made.

Now they were friends, thanks to a candy and thanks to himself. Alec felt proud, tired but very happy. He couldn’t wait to tell Magnus how easy it was finally, hoping that he will be happy for him, but of course he had to make sure that he wouldn’t feel threaten by this new friendship by dosing his future relationship with him.

Magnus still hadn’t said anything over his recent awkward friendship with Jem, it seemed for now that being friends with his friends was okay and that the promise really concerned his non-existent friends of his own.  As if he could keep an eye on his relationships this way. Alec didn’t mind, only their best friendship mattered and as long as nobody became an obstacle.

They were now all friends but it didn’t mean that he would stop being jealous and that his worries would vanish straight away, yet it would soothe the tension and made everything less worrisome and toxic for him. Like this, he’ll keep an eye on them to still have this special bond with Magnus.

He had to share him anyways and couldn’t keep him for himself, sadly, so it was better to get to know the ones he would have to share him with. For now, Jem and Will were good kids so Alec was not as suspicious as before.

Relieved and brighter, which he hadn’t been since the beginning of the year, Alec smiled at Izzy who had just arrived with their babysitter. She was holding her hand and couldn’t stop staring at her chest –which was quite huge-.

Their parents and Hodge had leaved early this morning to go to a friend’s wedding and would come back home late. After hearing that she couldn’t come, Izzy had gotten even more disappointed when they found out that Hodge wouldn’t be babysitting them as he was also invited.

But Aisha was nice and Izzy seemed to love staring at her bosom. She was in high-school, wore a brace, had some pimples on her face and was the child of one of their mom’s coworker. She smiled and held out her hand to grab his.

Alec looked. “I’m too old to hold your hand,’’ he said whereas he wasn’t too old to hold Magnus’ one.

But he had to hold Izzy’s one because she annoyingly insisted and it seemed to put Aisha at ease.

“Your mom gave me some cash to buy something nice to eat, what do you want?”

Obviously, their mom had been scared that they would starve even if there were plenty of food at their house. He shrugged while Izzy wanted an ice cream and they went to the nearest grocery shop.

“I’m friend with Will now,’’ he murmured.

His little sister stopped staring at Aisha’s boobs and she looked at him with puzzled eyes. “But you don’t like him, why are you friend with him?’’

“I don’t hate him,’’ Alec protested.

“You like him now?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

“No, not yet,’’ he said with hesitation.

Izzy seemed even more confused. “But why do you want to be friend with him?”

Aisha was carefully listening to them while Alec sighed. She was too little to understand why he had to befriend Magnus’ friends.

“You’re in trouble with your friends?” asked him their babysitter.

Alec looked up whereas Izzy squeezed his hand harder before swinging their arms enthusiastically as they went in the grocery shop. “It’s complicated,’’ he wearily said, which made her smile.

“Friendship isn’t supposed to be complicated at your age.”

It was, for him it was, which worried him even more. Izzy suddenly released their hands and ran toward the freezers full of ice creams with a shriek, her bag bouncing up and down on her back. Aisha ran after her, leaving Alec behind her -before remembering that he was also here-, grabbed his hand and forced him to run after Izzy with her.

She was fast and Alec couldn’t help smiling when she sneaked between people with her bouncing bag and she disappeared. Aisha sped up and in the heat of the moment, her jacket opened, revealing that the bag of Izzy wasn’t the only thing bouncing up and down.

Izzy was waiting for them with three smarties ice creams in her hand.

“Don’t ever do that,’’ scolded her Aisha before taking the ice creams from her hands. “Hold her hand Alec.”

She didn’t have to ask, Izzy was already holding his hand as he easily could get lost and which had been proven many times.

“When I grow up I want to have big titties like yours,’’ she blurted out while eyeing at her chest.

Aisha blinked and clearly embarrassed hastened to close her jacket. Alec stared at his little sister.

“You want to have big boobies?” he asked.

Izzy nodded, it was pretty to have big titties.

Alec pouted. “It’s too big,’’ he said while staring at Aisha’s chest.

Their babysitter, who was now as red as a lobster, pursed her lips and silently walked toward the checkout. And for the third time of their lives, Izzy and Alec took the bus to go home while eating their ice-creams.

He glanced at Aisha who didn’t seem to sulk anymore but who was hiding her chest in an unnatural posture. She took the empty paper of their ice creams with a little smile before wiping Izzy’s mouth. She was really nice.

“Do you have homework to do?’’ she asked.

He nodded, he had to do some exercises and reading for the day after.

“And you?”

She snorted. “I do and a lot, I have to write an essay.”

“What’s an essay?”

“It’s something that you have to write about a subject, you too you’ll have to do that later.”

Alec frowned when Izzy finally managed to stick her face against Aisha’s chest. The teenager softened and took her on her lap while she contentedly tested the softness and comfort of her chest. Alec lengthily stared at her but she ignored him and brightly smiled at Aisha who wished aloud that they would be as cute once at home.

It started to rain as soon as they got inside and Aisha accidently locked Church outside. None of them had noticed that he had ventured onto the doorstep until they heard snarly meows coming from outside.

Even Izzy didn’t dare to pet him after seeing how grumpy he had become. Aisha apologized and tried to comfort him but Church didn’t let her pet his amazing fur and hastened to hide under the couch.

Alec was already settled on the table, trying to do his homework with a frown. It wasn’t that difficult and Aisha went to see him several time asking if he needed help.

“Come with me,’’ whined Izzy while pulling her arm.

She wanted them to watch one of her Disney movies, Alec rolled his eyes, ready to bet that it would be for the umpteenth time Mulan. It was also Aisha’s favorite movie with Aladdin.  Annoyed and because he knew them by heart, Alec took refuge in his room to read the text he had to be able to explain the day after.

Church followed him to watch him read while he sat on his bed.

“I’ll behave,’’ he sighed when Aisha half-opened the door to see what he was doing. “I’m seven.”

She stared at him, with narrowed eyes, before closing the door. Church snarly meowed and jumped on the bed to nuzzle against his leg, which distracted Alec from his reading. Right after, Aisha opened once again the door..

“Are you sure that you don’t need help with your homework?”

He scowled. “I just need to read that for tomorrow,” he explained with a moody tone. “And I can’t focus when Mulan sing.”

“Okay, your mom called just now, she’s talking to you sister. Do you want to talk to her?”

“No, I’d rather read.”

“Okay…am I bothering you?”

Alec didn’t answer and looked down at the book he had on his lap.

Aisha pursed her lips. “When you’ll be done, come with us.”

He nodded, still focused on the same sentence, while Church was yawning. The babysitter didn’t have the time to close the door, Izzy barged in holding up the phone at arm’s length.

“Mom wants to talk to you,’’ she loudly said before throwing the black phone on his bed and taking Church in her arms. “Church,’’ she crooned before tightly squeezing him in her arms.

The grumpy cat glared at her but didn’t do much, as always.

“I’m busy,’’ Alec mumbled on the phone once Aisha and Izzy were gone.

His mom snorted. “You have a lot of homework?”

He hummed. “Did you eat a lot of cake?”

“Your dad did, how’s Aisha? Is she nice?”

“Yeah, did you have fun?” he asked in the same bored tone before turning the page that he hadn’t really read.

He heard his dad say something that didn’t make sense and frowned.

“When are you coming back?” he politely asked.

“When you’ll be asleep, if Izzy gave Aisha a hard time because she doesn’t want to go to bed, you have to help her, okay?”

He sighed and nodded, still frowning. He couldn’t really hear what she was saying, surrounded as she was by noisy people who were having fun. Yet, he recognized Hodge’s laugh

“Did Hodge make friends?”

It made Maryse snort. “No, he’s already friend with everyone.”

She then asked him to read aloud his homework. Maybe she was bored, thought Alec but he didn’t mind telling her the story. It wasn’t that great though, just a short text with a lot of verbs. She carefully listened and he sincerely wondered how she could find his homework more interesting than a wedding where she could eat cakes and many yummy things.

“I’ve finished,’’ he said. “You can go have fun now.”

He could almost hear his mom smile. “Good night and kiss Izzy on my behalf.”

“Yeah,’’ he absently said even if he didn’t intend to do that at all.

She finally hung up and he finally managed to close his book. He hadn’t noticed that Church had come back after being kidnapped by Izzy. The grumpy cat snarled and began to groom his fluffy fur while Alec tried to remove all the gray hair he had on him but gave up before standing up to put back the phone where it belonged.

Izzy and Aisha were still watching Mulan while singing and dancing with really weird moves. They looked so weird and into it that Alec stared at them as would have done Jem in front of something incredibly stupid with his I’m-judging-you stare.

He quietly put back the phone in the entrance and wondered if he could ask Aisha how babies were made. He glanced at her. She probably didn’t know either. It didn’t matter anyways, he would ask Will the day after, his mom had probably answered and explained him everything.

He could have asked his mom but she already had lied to him about the Tooth Fairy and Santa, same for his dad and Hodge. Sooner or later he would know the entire truth and he couldn’t wait to finally resolve this mystery.

Aisha finally turned around and noticed him. “You can join us you know,’’ she cheerfully said with a wide and silver smile.

“No thanks, I’m busy,’’ he politely refused.

Izzy grabbed the babysitter’s arm. “He wants to play with his bow,” she explained.

“You’re doing archery?”

“No, not yet.”

His bow, which was in plastic, was almost broken now and he kept it as a relic rather than a toy, like his dragon and his puzzle box and his Charmander. He couldn’t wait for the archery lessons to come but for now he had something more important to do. He fled into the corridor to go in his father’s study.

He perfectly knew that he didn’t have the right to go inside when his dad wasn’t here and had almost been caught once because of his carelessness. He had decided to eat a snack while reading all the complicated books and all these files with a lot of sheets of paper and had left the proof of his presence on the desk and between several papers. Not to mention, Church that he had let in. The grumpy cat had peed in the cactus pot, had coughed up a disgusting hairball on an important file and if Alec had been lucky it wasn’t his case at all. Church was outlawed forever and ever from Robert’s study.

Fearing that he would be punished and then would never be able to read all these complicated words that he loved so much, Alec had shamelessly and falsely accused Church for all the crumbs on the desk.

Robert had believed him and since then, Church followed Alec as if to make sure he still felt guilty about it.

For a second, he thought that the door was locked. He let out a relieved sigh when he was able to push the door that he hastened to close when he saw that Church wanted to go in with him.

“No,” he firmly said, his face stuck against the half-opened door that he closed.

Church silently meowed to convey how unhappy he was but Alec didn’t care. He eagerly sat on the comfy black leather desk chair, as if it was his own study, and frowned when he saw that he was too small compared to the desk, smaller than last time. Yet, he didn’t touch anything on the chair that would betray him.

The desk was unusually tidy so he didn’t have anything to read. He opened the drawers, looking for something interesting and finally managed to find a thick red file. 

He didn’t understand everything, there were many words that he didn’t get because they were complicated but he liked it. When he didn’t understand, it meant that it was complicated and it made him feel smart that he was trying to understand.

Alec shook his head and sighed, this file was about a divorce and a robbery, as the separation of property hadn’t turned well. The husband had literally stolen everything from his wife, or at least he had tried.

 _It’s not nice,_ he thought before taking another sheet of paper while moving his feet.

He was so into it that he didn’t notice that Izzy had opened the door and was silently staring at him, until he heard a snarly meowing. Startled, he looked up and frowned.

“What?” he grumpily said.

Izzy walked in to see what he was doing with Church who jumped on the printer. He glared at her.

“What do you want?”

“I’m bored, Aisha’s making food…play with me,’’ she begged.

He lengthily stared at her, he hadn’t noticed that they had stopped singing and noisily dancing around. “If I play with you, you won’t tell dad that I’m here?”

She promised not to tell and affectuously hugged him. She didn’t need to act cute to have him play with her but it softened Alec who stopped reading.

“Okay,” he said as if he reluctantly agreed whereas he wasn’t reluctant at all.

They struggled a lot to catch Church who wanted to stay here, Izzy whined when he scratched her hand but she didn’t give up and caught him with a wrestling move that made Alec laugh.

They were now covered with gray hair and he had to clean after them and their fight before leaving and helping Izzy with her puzzle of Snow-White on the carpet in front of the TV. He glanced with worry at Aisha who seemed to struggle with the oven but helping Izzy was more important than food.

She was impatient and wanted the piece that she was holding to fit right away with the others. Alec sighed and took it out of her hand before giving her an easier one that she could easily put on Snow-White’s face. And he did that every time she struggled with a piece of puzzle.

He finished by himself when his sister decided to help their babysitter with the food and suspiciously stared at Church who was still angry about his behavior towards him. But the fluffy cat didn’t attack him and didn’t even try to destroy his work, he just went to hide under the couch to better stare at him.

“It’s ready,’’ sighed with relief Aisha. “Come to eat Alec.”

The latter nodded before gazing at the complete puzzle that he destroyed with satisfaction before standing up, followed by Church’s orange eyes.

 

He woke up and had to blink which erased his dream. Confused, Alec blankly stared at the ceiling. In his dream, he had finally managed to open the puzzle box to find inside another puzzle of a Disney Princess who was weird looking.

He straightened up and wondered why he was surrounded by total darkness. Aisha must have closed the door before leaving. He yawned and rubbed his eyes when he heard his parents arguing in the living room.

Then, another voice, yelled something, as if they were by themselves and that there were no children sleeping in the house. It was the first time of his life that Alec heard Hodge yelling. He immediately got up and quickly closed the door behind him not to wake up Izzy who was still sounding asleep.

She was good at pretending as well.

He regretted leaving the comfortable space that was his room when he heard the sound of a broken glass. Yet, he walked, barefoot, towards the noise but stayed hidden in the corridor in order to not be noticed and then be scolded for not being in bed.

He sat on the floor, in the shadow, where the light couldn’t reach him and reveal his presence. He didn’t understand everything, stressed out by their angry whispers and by their sudden yells about someone.

Alec frowned, trying to focus on what was saying Hodge.

“You know what your behavior is called?” he hissed. “Hypocrisy, you’re hypocritical.”

“Shut up,” hissed back Robert and Alec tensed up when he heard his mom getting in the way to prevent them from fighting.

“Stop it,’’ she harshly said. “It won’t change anything.”

Hodge snorted. “It would have if he hadn’t behaved like a retard!”

“I was young!” Robert retorted in an infuriate tone.

“You’ll wake up Izzy and Alec,’’ loudly whispered Maryse.

“Being young doesn’t mean that you have to be stupid!”

“If I had known I wouldn’t…”

“You wouldn’t what?” dryly asked Hodge. “You wouldn’t have put an end to your friendship? Did you really have to do that only because he had feelings for you?” he asked with contempt and disgust.

Alec really wanted to go back into his room, he didn’t like the way Hodge was talking and even less that they were loudly speaking. His dad kept silent, didn’t even fight back, and he raised his face when he heard his mom calm voice.

“You never told me that Michael had feelings for you nor that you were no longer friends because of that.”

Alec thought he had misheard something, Michael had been in love with his dad? Wasn’t that a man’s name? And why were they arguing over it?

“If you want to find his son, go ahead but you’re hypocritical, it’s only because you feel guilty,” murmured Hodge.

“I know,’’ Alec heard his dad lowly say with a broken voice. “I’ll blame myself for the rest of my life.”

“Robert,’’ shrilly said Maryse. “No one could have foreseen his death!”

“If we were still friends,” he blankly stated. “I would have known that he got married, that he had a child, that he got murdered with his wife and that his child was missing since then…I would have known.”

Alec stood up, not sure to like what he was hearing, and mostly because his dad moved in his direction. He was too slow and Robert too fast. Alec stuck his back against the wall, stiffened, and nervously glanced up. His father had noticed him and was staring at him with clenched jaws.

“So what do you intend to do?” asked Hodge after coming closer.

Alec sheepishly winced and he saw his eyes widened.

“Why are you not in bed?” suddenly and harshly asked his dad, too harshly given Hodge’s stare on him.

“Alec,” sighed his mom before taking him in his arms to greet him and asking the same question.

“You were loud,” he murmured with a glance towards his dad.

But the latter didn’t care and strode towards his study, followed by Hodge who ruffled his head before quickly apologizing. Even with the door of the study closed, Alec could hear them. His mother finally freed him to take him in the kitchen for a glass of water.

He looked up and lengthily stared at her cheeks covered with mascara slides. She was unusually unkempt and seemed extremely sad and tired. No wonder she didn’t seem to have fun earlier on the phone.

“Who’s dead?” he asked even if had understood who that might be.

Maryse tongue clicked, not at him, but at her high heels that she still hadn’t taken off. After doing so, she kissed him and finally gave him a glass of water. He wasn’t thirsty or anything like that but it didn’t prevent him to finish it in one gulp.

“An old friend, that we knew quite some time ago,” she murmured.

“Why?”

She didn’t answer and heaved a sigh when she saw that Izzy was awake and was grumpily staring at them, just next to the table.

“Mom,” she complained before rubbing her eyes.

Annoyed because she was ignoring him to fondle his sister, Alec grabbed down her dark dress.

“What was his name?”

“Michael Wayland,” she absently answered.

“What happened to his child?”

This time, his mom frowned and stared at him, displeased with the fact that he had heard everything.

“Alec, I know you find me annoying each time I’m telling you to be careful when you play outside with Izzy and that you shouldn’t talk to strangers, but you can be kidnapped and that’s what happen to this child. Someone kidnapped him, no one knows where he is.”

Izzy anxiously stared at Alec, frightened that it might happen to them.

“He’s dead?”

“Maybe.”

Slightly shook, Alec stared at her and didn’t react when she grabbed his shoulder.

“Go back to sleep now and sorry for waking you up.”

“Aisha’s gone?” Izzy asked.

“Of course, she also needs to sleep. She said you were adorable.”

Izzy proudly smiled and went to bed without any complaint while Alec was reluctant to do so. He wanted to know more about this friend who had died and whose child was missing. It was scary and fascinating, but clearly, his mom was upset about his habit to spy on them whenever they loudly argued.

She didn’t seem to get that he was fascinated and that his father’s guilt made him wanting to know more.

“Alec,” she firmly said. “You’re too young for that and if you think you dad and I don’t know that you’re going in his study when we’re not here you’re heavily mistaken.”

“I didn’t tell them,” whispered Izzy.

Alec scowled. “I’m bored,” he mumbled.

Maryse sighed. “Don’t you have enough books?”

“I’ve read them.”

“Your archery lessons will begin soon, just wait a little longer.”

He sighed and went to bed under her weary gaze.

“Alec… Come here Izzy.”

The forehead stuck against the wall, Alec stared at his hands.

“How old he was?” he asked.

His mom who was kissing Izzy, let out an annoyed sigh. “Alec, stop thinking about that.”

He pursed his lips, she was scaring them all the time with kidnaping, so it could have been him or Izzy, Magnus, Jem, Will or a kid in his school. It was frightening but he couldn’t help feeling concerned for this child he didn’t know. It could have been anyone but the fact that his dad had known his father made it more relatable and triggered a morbid fascination for this.

Maryse came closer to drop a light kiss on his hair. “He should be 5 years old now,” she whispered. “Good night.”

Like Izzy.

His dad’s guiltiness, the murder of his friend and the kidnaping of his child ruined a part of his night but the good things that had happened like his new friendship with Will allowed him to sleep soundly. Alec curled up into a ball and felt asleep with a frown.

He couldn’t wait to tell Magnus about the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus, in case he wouldn’t know, and hoped that he wouldn’t forget to ask Will how babies were made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


	8. A sad sad little girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter, sorry for the mistakes as always !

Izzy noisily yawned before blinking with a frown, a pout, and then a glare for their dad who was driving them to school. Alec was as tired as she was and struggled to keep his eyes opened.  Their father and Hodge had argued until their mom had decided to gently throw him outside in order to end their quarrel. Then, she also had had some words with Robert, which had prevented Izzy and Alec to sleep soundly.

He discreetly glanced at his dad. He looked distracted and disturbed, maybe because of his guilt. He was not in his right mind, Alec could tell that what had happened yesterday still troubled him.

“Dad?”

He didn’t answer, too focused on the road but not focused enough on them as they weren’t heading for the kindergarten but directly for his office.

Alec sighed, hoping and waiting for him to realize his mistake. Izzy didn’t notice anything, too sleepy and too busy to stare at the sky with a blank stare, the forehead stuck against the window.

Robert didn’t realize how distracted he was until he parked in a busy street. Alec slightly smiled when he saw his reaction after getting off the car and turning around to lock the doors.

“Shit.”

“We don’t go to school?” finally asked Izzy who looked more awake and slightly happier than before.

“Why didn’t you tell me anything?” their dad grumpily reproached them while getting inside.

Alec silently stared at him while Izzy sighed, losing all hope to not go to school today.

“We’ll be late?” he asked.

“I’ll be late,” clarified Robert before speeding up.

Izzy was the first one to be dropped and she reluctantly stepped out of the car before enthusiastically running towards Mrs. Bean and her friends. Robert opened his mouth to ask for a kiss but it was too late.

Now that they were alone Alec didn’t dare to ask him about the missing child and the death of his parents. He didn’t want to be scolded nor to make him angry with his curiosity so he kept staring at him without saying anything.

But he was too curious.

“Dad, why do you feel guilty?”

He couldn’t help feeling intrigued by this, as for him his dad could never feel guilty about something. But he got ignored, his father glanced at him, slightly annoyed that he had interrupted his thoughts.

“Alec, I don’t know what mom told you and what you heard yesterday but it’s none of your business. Maybe you’ve heard of this saying: curiosity killed the cat?” he said with a glance in the rearview mirror to look at him.

Alec blinked and nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

“It also involves the fact that you go in my study when I’m not home. I want you to stop,” he firmly added with a stern face. “You’re reading my files, which is not right and not quite legal either, and besides they’re inappropriate for your age. You’re bored, we got it, but it’ll change, you’ll have your archery lessons, do judo and your mom and I are ready to buy you more books if you wish. Do you understand?”

Alec nodded but his silent answer wasn’t enough for his dad who felt the need to turn around as soon as he could stop at a red light.

“I want you to promise me that you’ll never do that again,” his father asked before staring at him straight in the eyes.

Alec couldn’t look away, intimidated and uneasy to be lectured. The thing was that he didn’t want to promise anything as he didn’t want to no longer read his secret files. He was trapped between his curiosity and his moral.

He gulped. Could he lie? The consequences would be terrible if his dad came to discover that he had lied. He really wanted to know, maybe he would discover what had happened to the missing child.

His father’s eye hardened. “Alec.”

“Okay,” he hastened to promise with a glance for his shoes.

Robert lengthily stared at him and smiled. He hadn’t noticed that Alec had crossed his fingers. Feeling already bad about his insincerity, the little boy took a deep breath. He would feel guilty later. For now, his curiosity and his thirst for more knowledge were too important to suppress.

*

Will didn’t know how children were made and firmly believed what his mom had told him: boys are born in cabbages and girls in roses. Alec frowned while Magnus asked what they were talking about. It was also an opportunity to learn that Santa and the Tooth Fairy were not real.

Magnus stared at them, highly confused, and opened his mouth. “What do you mean _not real_?” he asked with a little voice.

He really didn’t know anything and Alec couldn’t hide his smile when he saw his reaction.

Will explained him everything, as had told him his sister Ella, while Jem asked Alec if his friendship attempt with Will had been successful.

Alec smiled. “Because I gave him a candy.”

Jem smiled back. “For the sake of your imagination,’’ he said to Magnus who had asked why would parents and adults in general have made up all these things if they were fake in the end.

Alec and Magnus’ eye met.

“Then, I’ll ask for more,” he came to conclude with a frown as if he wanted to take revenge for all these lies.

“You already receive a lot,” Alec stated.

Magnus shrugged and Alec had to admit that himself was taking advantage of the fact that he was spoiled whenever he came over. Magnus learned that now Alec and Will were friends and proudly looked at his best friend who had managed to do it.

Alec didn’t smile back, waiting for Will to carry on.

“Alec is convinced that babies cannot be born from cabbages and roses.”

Jem snorted and Magnus nodded.

“He’s right, it’s stupid!’’ he firmly stated before saying that storks or seeds are a bunch of lies and that a woman could only get pregnant if she kissed her husband. “But I’m not really sure about that, my mom can’t have children even if she kissed my dad,” he added with a frown and thoughtfully.

“Izzy said that witches put a spell on dolls,” Alec sighed.

Will seemed to love this new theory and hastened to ask Jem what were his thoughts about the mystery surrounding the birth of babies. But Jem was judging them.

“You don’t watch TV ?” he asked in an obvious tone, slightly condescending.

Alec was pretty sure that he knew, Jem knew everything.

“You know?”

Jem nodded. “Of course and I’ve asked the right person to explain what I didn’t understand.”

“So?” Magnus asked with a growing impatience.

The three of them were staring at him, waiting for the revelation but Jem narrowed his eyes and lengthily looked at them.

“You’re too young to know the truth.”

Will noisily protested before claiming loudly when he was born, same with Magnus, and Alec discovered that he was the youngest among them as he was born in September.

“I’m the oldest!” bragged Magnus with a wide smile.

Alec sighed, cursing his youth.

“I’ll tell you after,’’ whispered Magnus before following Jem with Will to a remote area of the playground.

Jem suspiciously looked behind them to make sure that Alec wasn’t following them. “It’s for your own good,” he dared to say to a lonely Alec who clearly felt left out.

He didn’t quite understand Jem’s hands gestures and Will and Magnus’ horrified expressions and disgusted winces. Was it this awful? Maybe Jem was right, he was too young to know the truth. Still, he was seven like Jem and Will, not as long as them of course but he still had the right to know.

The bell rang and the only thing that Magnus could tell was “ew”.

“Why?”

He winced. “I’ll explain everything better once I’ll know more details about it.”

Will shook his head and sighed. “Cabbages and roses are better,” he mumbled before glancing at Jem as if he resented him for having said the truth.

Alec was even more confused that before but Will and Magnus agreed, he didn’t have to know.

“But I’m seven!”

And he really wanted to know how babies were made.

Sadly for him, none of them wanted to spill the beans.

*

He was so frustrated to not know because he was too young to know the truth, according to his dad and his friends, hence his grumpy face that made Hodge snort.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Robert shrugged and quickly left them together before leaving as he had something more important to do. Izzy was at her dance class while Alec had nowhere to go if not to Hodge’s antiquary shop. He wasn’t as excited as he should be and yet his mood got better when he saw the old objects and all these books on the shelves.

“Watch him and look at what he’s reading,” asked Robert to his old friend before leaving.

Alec looked at the shop with piercing eyes. A lot of things had changed but he was unable to tell if it was because it had become fuller of antiques or if the decoration had changed. He was slightly confused and lost, not knowing where to go.

Yet, there was still this old same vibe with the wooden theme of the shop but everything seemed new at the same time. Alec’s frown deepened while Hodge was staring at him with an amused smile.

“Everything had been renovated,” he explained.

_Ah._

Alec glanced up. “How babies are made?”

Hodge ignored his troublesome question, which made him whine. “You don’t want to see your present?”

Alec hastened to follow him in the back shop with pursed lips. “Why is it a secret?”

Hodge remained quiet and hid behind a green heavy curtain. This curtain was new and Alec didn’t bother to use his arms to move it in order to go through and walked straight into it. The fabric that brushed his body from his toes to his hair was so long that he had to walk quite some time and almost bumped into a shelf, with no end in sight. The eyes closed to prevent any contact between them and the curtain, he felt the arm of Hodge grazed his belly to stop him.

“Alec,” he sighed.

Alec smiled and could finally open his eyes once Hodge had helped him to get rid of the troublesome curtain. Hodge smiled back and Crow, who was on his shoulder, stared at Alec with his deep black eyes. He cawed before jumping on his shoulder, which wasn’t planned at all. Alec winced and stiffened, scared that he would poke his right eye.

“He won’t harm you, he’s just happy to see you, it’s been quite some time that you didn’t see each other.”

And Alec hadn’t really missed him. He glanced at the crow who was still staring at him with the same eye full of darkness and probably some love, hidden deep inside. Anyway, his plumage was still as magnificent as before and he carefully dared to touch one of his feathers with his fingertip. Crow cawed and his talons sank deeper into his shoulder.

Hodge decided that Crow was way too excited and quickly grabbed his legs to put him on his shoulder before taking him to his messy desk, buried under a lot of papers and empty cartons. The back shop was incredibly messy unlike the shop itself, noted Alec after looking around while Hodge was looking for the present.

“I know that Santa and the Tooth Fairy are not real,” he said. “So you can tell me the truth about babies.”

Hodge heaved a sigh, confronted with his stubbornness before glancing at him with a frown. “Who told you?”

“Will.”

“And Will doesn’t know how babies are made?”

“He does now because Jem told him but he didn’t want to tell me because I’m too young,” Alec mumbled. “Magnus said it was disgusting,” he hastened to add.

Hodge did his best to not smile but miserably failed. “He won’t think the same once he’ll get older,” he murmured for himself. “How old is Jem?”

“Seven.”

He snorted. “And how does he know what you don’t know?”

“He’s smart.”

Hodge lengthily stared at him over his shoulder with the same amused smile. Crow hopped on an empty box.

‘’How are you doing with Magnus’ friends? Di it get better?” he suddenly asked.

Alec sighed, if he knew…He nodded to avoid any troublesome questions.

“Slightly better or a lot better?” Hodge insisted.

“It’s better,” Alec mumbled before grabbing his arm. “Hodge why don’t you want to tell me?” he almost begged.

He didn’t know how to soften him like Izzy could with her cuteness and big eyes, so he stared at him, unblinkingly, which widened his smile.

“I’ve found your present and Alec, if I could I would but if your parents didn’t tell you anything it means you’re too young.”

“Why is it a secret?” he asked with a frown. “It’s something bad?”

Hodge heaved a sigh. “Alec, I won’t say anything.”

“I can hear mom and dad in their room sometimes, what are they doing?”

He couldn’t tell if it had a link with the making of babies as he didn’t have any clue about that but still, they were doing _something_ in secret. Hodge made a weird face as if he hesitated between keeping a straight face or laughing out loud.

“I don’t know, here’s your present,” he said while handing him a huge book that looked extremely heavy.

Alec’s eyes widened and he hastened to put his hands on the precious thing. There was a big red dragon on the cover with weird inscriptions. The book didn’t seem particularly old but wasn’t new either.

Hodge helped him to hold it until he safely sat on the ground where he put it between his legs before opening it.

“It’s not in English,” he protested while Hodge was sitting next to him.

“Shhh,” he said to the crow who was agitated. “I don’t know this language either, nobody knows, if not the author.”

While Hodge was explaining what made this book really interesting aside all the illustrations of imaginary creatures and the text that didn’t make sense, giving free rein to their imagination. Alec stared at him out of the corner of his eyes and with a little smile. He wasn’t listening and only stared at Hodge before nuzzling closer, in a more comfortable position.

Hodge always made him feel important and it was nice.

The latter slightly stiffened before glancing at him with a smile.

“You got it?”

Alec blinked. “Yeah.”

Hodge’s eyes narrowed. “Did Magnus tell you what you have done to make you promise to not have new friends?”

“No but I’ve apologized.”

“Without knowing what you did?”

“I’ve hurt him?” he suggested before changing the subject and asking him to tell him a story as he had a great imagination. “It was so much better when it was only the both of us,” he bitterly mumbled for himself.

Hodge patted his head in a weird but comforted way as if he perfectly understood him. Alec heaved a sigh, he still felt like a child who had partially lost his favorite toy. He still had it but was no longer the only one playing with it. He had lost Magnus in some way, he had been stolen from him and he still hadn’t recovered.

“You’re really friend with his friends now or you say that just to not make me worried?”

“No, we’re really friends now,’’ he stated. “They’re nice.”

The weird thing was despite his unfriendly behavior until recently, they seemed to like him and to enjoy his presence. Not as much as Magnus, but still, and it was really surprising.  

“What’s their names again?’’

“Will and Jem.”

“And your own friends?”

Alec shook his head.

“It’s okay, Magnus won’t stop being your friend if you make your own friends you know?”

Alec didn’t want to take the risk, besides Hodge had once told him that it was okay to not have a lot of friends. He rested his head on his arm, waiting for him to tell the story, led by the pretty illustrations. Hodge cleared his throat.

During a magical moment, Alec forgot his worries and smiled a lot, nuzzled against Hodge who had a crazy imagination. He even stopped to look at the pictures to stare at Crow, while just listening to his voice. The hero was an archer, too curious and stubborn for his own good, who looked a lot like him. He was an adventurer, had a grumpy cat who could feel the presence of dragons and witches and a little sister who was an amazing warrior.

Alec liked it.

“Does he have a best friend?”

Hodge remained quiet. “Yeah, a selfish warlock who lives very far.”

Alec slightly frowned, not knowing what was a warlock nor why he was selfish, but it sounded nice.

They got interrupted by Luke who noisily and angrily came in with a bunch of boxes in the arms, frightening Crow and Alec who didn’t expect him.

“Hodge! I got it that it’s nanny time but it’s your shop, there’s a lot of people out there and there’s even a girl who wants to buy the armor so move your ass and come and help me,” he snarled before noticing Alec. He immediately smiled and softened. “Hi Alec, the last time I saw you were so tiny! Now, look at you, glaring at me with the same eyes as your mom,” he snorted.

Alec scowled when Luke decided to lift him up.

“I’m seven,” he grumpily said, slightly scared to be lifted this high in Luke’s arms who was very tall.

Luke didn’t seem to care and widely smiled before putting him back on the floor and ruffling his hair. He was abrupt, like his dad, but really nice.

Alec glared at him, he had interrupted his precious time with Hodge and was taking him away.

Hodge seemed as unhappy as he was and grumbled. “I’d rather stay here.”

But he was already standing up after having closed the heavy book.

“Don’t start a business if you’re scared of people then,” Luke said in obvious tone.

“That’s why I’ve hired you,” mumbled Hodge while Alec was glancing up at him with worry.

“Do you want to help us?” suggested Luke with a smile.

Alec shook his head. “No.”

He snorted and took Hodge away. “Come on, get a grip on yourself.”

As soon as they had disappeared behind the heavy green curtain, Alec was already bored. He quickly and discreetly peeked on the other side of the curtain before dropping it. There were indeed many people out there, he hoped that Hodge wouldn’t be too scared of them.

He looked around him with a puzzled expression. He had a lot to do, under Crow’s piercing eyes. He briefly wondered with a glance for his present on the floor how he would take it home before remembering that his father was quite strong.

He walked towards the desk, hoping to find something interesting underneath all these empty cartons and papers. He found one of Izzy’s dolls, the picture of a red haired smiling woman holding a little girl who looked like her in her arms. Both were smiling but only with their lips. Their eyes were lifeless, it gave them a weird and scary expression, as if they had been too sad to genuinely smile. He hastened to put it back among Luke’s stuff before carrying on his exploration that wasn’t really successful.

He finally sat back on the floor, opened the weird book to make up his own story. Crow cawed before hopping around on his perch, startling Alec who stiffened.

“Shhh,” he shyly said.

The crow stared at him, tilting his head as if he didn’t know how to look at him.

 _Don’t go near me,_ inwardly begged Alec with a wince. He closed his eyes when he heard him fly and opened them when he felt his talons sinking into his shoulder. It didn’t hurt but it was really uncomfortable, even if his feathers against his cheek were really soft. He would have been less nervous if the bird didn’t fidget this much near his face.

“Don’t poke my eye out,” he fearfully warned him.

Crow’s soft and silky head brushed his cheek as he moved closer while Alec was taking a deep breath before studying thoroughly his present.

*

Nobody had wanted to tell him the truth. Not even his parents, especially when he had told them that he really wanted to know what were the noises he could hear from their bedroom at night. His mom had seemed horrified before scolding him for no reason.

Alec wanted to know. It was as simple as that.

To put more strength into his words, he had even told her that he knew everything about the Tooth Fairy and Santa but it didn’t change anything.

He felt like it was a dirty secret.

He slightly frowned and didn’t smile back at Magnus who was waiting for him near the gateway. He seemed excited and tired to wait but had this mischievous gleam in the eye that prevented Alec to run to him. He slowly walked along the school wall. Will and Jem weren’t here yet, he noted while looking around whereas Mrs. Fear, early as always, glanced at him with the same stern face as always.

Magnus winced when she walked past him before smiling again once Alec was standing beside him.

“I have to show you something!” he trumpeted.

“About what?” Alec asked with a pout, still mad at him for not wanting to tell him the truth.

Magnus’ smile widened and he took him in the playground against the wall of the administration building where they could be alone. He then took out a colorful book from his bag: _It’s not the stork!_

He knew it, he glanced at Magnus, slightly confused about the nature of the book but impatient to read it. They both sat on the ground and Alec noticed that the book could be read from age 9. Magnus wasn’t 9 years old yet.

“You’re not nine yet,” he said.

Magnus stared at him. “You’re only seven,” he reminded him with a frown and a huff.

He was right and Alec didn’t always read books that were appropriate for his age. He was pretty thankful that Magnus had changed his mind and wanted to share his knowledge about this matter with him.

“It’s really disgusting?” he asked.

Magnus nodded. “Really disgusting,” he excitedly said while opening it after making sure that no one else was looking at them.

Alec’s eyes widened when he saw the illustrations of the naked bodies of a woman and a man. He then stared up at Magnus who was looking at him, clearly waiting for his reaction.

“Read.”

Alec stared back at the illustrations and read the explanations just next to them.

So, the man had to put his thing inside the woman’s thing to make a baby. There was still a story of seeds but this one was obviously more believable. Now he finally knew, yet he wasn’t that surprised, as if everything made sense. And to say that everyone had wanted to keep this version secret…he no longer felt bad about his fake promise concerning his father’s study. If his parents could lie to him then he could as well, even if he shouldn’t.

He slightly frowned while studying some drawings, as he didn’t understand everything. He winced at the idea that his parents had done that to make him and Izzy, disgusted, before realizing that the noises he could hear sometimes could be _that_. Were they trying to make another baby? Given the explanations in the book they were clearly doing that to make babies.

Alec wasn’t ready to have another sibling, he already had Izzy. He looked at Magnus with worry. “I don’t want another sibling,” he stated as if his friend could do something to prevent that.

“The grown-ups don’t do that only to make babies,” he explained before turning the page. “My mom doesn’t have that,” he said after showing with his finger the drawing of a uterus. “That’s why she can’t have babies.”

“Why?”

“She was sick.”

And Alec discovered that grown-ups could have sex not only to make children but also by pleasure. His eyes narrowed and he winced, it was too complicated with all these words he didn’t know and these explicit drawings that were too much for him to handle. He realized that he might be too young to read this. Yet, he was glad to finally know the truth despite being a lot confused.

As he could see, the bodies of a man and a woman were really different. He already had seen his mom naked, she had changed her clothes in front of him once or twice whereas for his dad he had seen him naked in the cabin of the swimming pool where they had to change when he had had to learn how to swim.

He couldn’t really imagine himself becoming like his dad and Izzy becoming like their mom. He wanted to grow up of course but not like this, he didn’t want his body to grow up like this and be this hairy.

Magnus was still looking at him. “Do you have any questions?” he haughtily asked, mimicking Mrs. Herondale.

Alec smiled. “I don’t want to grow up like that, it’s disgusting,” he said while closing the book.

Magnus nodded before hurrying to put his book back inside his schoolbag when he saw Will and Jem coming towards them. Alec glanced at them and opened his mouth to say that he also knew and that he also found that disgusting but Magnus quickly wrapped his arm around his neck before putting a hand that tasted like candy on his mouth to prevent him from talking.

Alec frowned and looked at him with confusion. Jem and Will didn’t seem to mind, probably thinking that they were playing some game, and Magnus didn’t release him. So, he stuck his tongue out, startling him and he immediately freed his mouth with wide eyes.

His hand definitely tasted like a fruity candy.

He couldn’t help feeling different as if this new knowledge had opened his mind to a higher level. He knew the truth and felt slightly older, even if he hadn’t understood everything. He glanced at Jem who had sat in front of him, maybe he could ask him, he knew everything after all and wouldn’t scold him for knowing how babies were made.

Magnus discreetly squeezed his wrist, silently begging him to not speak about his book. Alec didn’t intend to do so, his lips that tasted like candy were sealed.

*

He couldn’t wait for Izzy to grow up in order to tell her everything. For now, she still believed in everything their parents were telling her and was trying to communicate with Church.

“Mrrrrraou,” she said after lying on the carpet in the living room.

Church, who was pretending to be dead, stared at her and rolled on his tummy. He silently meowed, clearly hoping that it would encourage her to leave him alone but on the contrary, she meowed louder.

“Mrrh,” finally and reluctantly answered Church who seemed confused about her behavior.

“I can talk with him,” cheerfully said Izzy. “I asked him if he was doing great and he said yes!”

Alec ignored her and kept looking for the key of his dad’s study. He knew that he no longer had the right to go in but he hadn’t expected him to lock the door and to hide the key. He perfectly knew that he had taken it with him as always but he also knew that there was a spare key somewhere as his mom had once gone inside to take something.

He felt like a real detective like in one of his books so he behaved like one and looked for the key in the most odds spots: pots and pans, flower pots, clothes, or even in the bathroom. Yet, he still hadn’t found anything and heaved a sigh, dejected.

“What are you doing?” Izzy asked before going towards him.

“I’m looking for a key,” he mumbled while opening a drawer in the kitchen.

“If I help you you’ll read me a story?”

She had seen him read Hodge’s present and when she had asked for a story from this book to their parents they had said that they couldn’t read it. She was now convinced that only Alec could read it given that Hodge the witch had passed him down his knowledge.

Alec stared at her. “Okay.”

Izzy didn’t do much and only stayed beside him to watch him. They found a packet of lollipops, which made her excitedly squeal, and Alec quickly put a strawberry flavored one in his mouth, as he needed a lot of strength.

The mouth full with two lollipops, Izzy shrieked and pinched his arm when she saw the spare key under the microwave. Alec smiled and slid his fingers underneath to grab them, he wasn’t sure if it was the good one but he would give it a try.

Izzy promised to not tell anything when he opened the door of their dad’s study with a wide smile before nosily licking her lollipops and she quickly disappeared to take the book to receive her payment.

Alec didn’t really know why his dad had decided to lock the door, he probably didn’t trust him and he was right, Alec was too curious and stubborn, and obviously he perfectly knew that he had lied.

There was nothing about the missing child. Disappointed, he still looked in the other files on the lookout for something related to his dad’s friend and child but there was absolutely nothing despite his dad’s obsession for them. Alec knew he was in search of facts about what had happened, when and why. He had heard him on the phone the other day and sometimes his parents were talking about that in the bathroom and in their bedroom.

Alec also wanted to know.

“Alec,’’ whined Izzy. “It’s heavy, I can’t carry it.”

She would never leave him alone if he didn’t read her a story right now. He knew where the spare key was anyways. Before she could whine more or get even more annoying, he stepped out from the room, closed the door under his sister and Church’s stare and put the key back where it belonged.

They were now settled on his bed, Izzy impatiently waiting for him to read with Church firmly trapped in her embrace while Alec’s legs were crushed under the heavy weight of the book. He cleared his throat, as would have done Hodge and began to make up a story.

A great story for Izzy had to have a princess who was good at fighting, a witch, a cat, a prince charming and of course a rival to spice things up.

Church glared at them and Izzy cuddled him harder while Alec was doing his best by pretending to read the language that no one could understand.

He let out a relieved sigh when he heard the door slam, their parents were back. Church’s ears twitched back and forth and Izzy straightened up, dropped him and left Alec with his story to welcome them.

Church groomed his fluffy fur while gazing at Alec who was looking with a frown at an illustration, trying to figure out what it represented.

“Did you do your homework?” asked his mom in the corridor.

Alec absently nodded, forgetting that she couldn’t hear his answer.

“Alec? I’m talking to you.”

He looked up, pushed his book aside and left his room to help his father with the grocery bags.

“Alec!” firmly said his mom in the bathroom.

He turned his head to mischievously smile at her, he perfectly knew that she didn’t like it at all when he didn’t answer back. He didn’t know if his dad had checked to see if the spare key was still underneath the microwave but he did his best to not meet his eye, just in case and to not betray himself.

He took the bag of rice that he was handing to him and hastened to put it in the closet.

Robert stared at him. “What did you do?”

“We played!” Izzy firmly said with an anxious glance for her brother.

Alec nodded while their dad finished emptying the grocery bags. He could check the key if he wanted, Alec had put it back as it was before so he’ll be all right normally, if Izzy didn’t betray him. He could rely on her anyway to create a diversion as their father was too focused on him.

Izzy had learned a song at school with a little dance, nothing too fancy given Mrs. Bean’s talents, and was ready to put on a show. Alec could always count on her and her cheerfulness to distract their parents. She was a powerful weapon who had saved his ass more than once.

She twirled and bumped into their mom who tilted her tongue at her. “Izzy.”

Izzy took the opportunity to wrap her arms around her legs and clang to her with a satisfied smile.

“Did you learn that at school?” asked Robert while stretching.

Maryse immediately looked at Alec. “You’ve never showed us what you’ve learned at school,” she noted with a frown.

Alec hadn’t forgotten all the stupid little songs he had had to learn before, he hated singing and would have been so embarrassed if he must have sung in front of them. Honestly, it had never crossed his mind that his parents would have loved to hear him sing and to see him waddle.

He winced, he’d rather stay an entire day alone with Mrs. Fear and Mrs. Herondale.

His mom lengthily stared at him, looking highly displeased that he never felt the need to be cute. She perfectly remembered the disaster that had been the spectacle of the end of the year in kindergarten where he had stayed hidden the whole time.

Alec hated being in the spotlight, as he had done the same thing last year during the play where he had had an insignificant role.

Izzy sang louder and smiled wider in order to distract their mom’s attention from him while Church snarly meowed to get some water.

 

Something was going on, Alec could tell. His parents were looking at each other in a weird way before glancing at them. They were eating a chocolate cake, which was rather unusual, even as a dessert, given that his mom didn’t really have the time to cook.

He swallowed what he was chewing with difficulty, maybe they knew he had taken the key to open the door of the study. But apparently no, they were just waiting for Izzy to finish her slice of cake that she was slowly eating. The three of them were now staring at her. She glanced at them, noticed their stare focused on her and straightened up, looking suddenly nervous, as if she had done something bad and could no longer hide it.

Maryse cleared her throat, took the time to wipe her dirty mouth and glanced at her husband. “So…as you may have noticed, dad and I we went away somewhere earlier, like the other day and the day before.”

She stared at them and Izzy hurried to nod to show that for once she was listening. Alec had noticed, thanks to that, he had finally been able to find the key.

“We’re moving to a bigger house,” abruptly said their dad with an annoyed gaze for their mom who hissed. “Robert!’’

“They’re old enough to understand,” he protested with a frown before looking at Izzy who was numbly staring at him. He moved closer. “You’ll have your own room, decorated as you wish and we’ll even buy a little bed for Church, like this he’ll sleep in your room.”

Alec blinked while with his words, Robert had won her over. He felt highly betrayed that she no longer wanted to share a room with him, as if she didn’t need him anymore. He glared at her, who would comfort her during storms or when she would be scared at night? It wouldn’t be Church.

Besides, she wasn’t the only one who felt scared at night sometimes…and she was the only one who never complained about his sleeping habits. Alec didn’t mind to share the same bedroom with her and on contrary if he had the choice he would ask his parents to share a room with her but apparently Izzy thought she was now big enough to sleep on her own.

He bitterly stared at her, not happy that she was growing up.

His parents had won her with their sweet words full of promises but not him and given the look on their face they had thought that their daughter would have been the hardest one to convince about them moving house.

His dad stared at him, with a stern face, not at all as sweet as he had been with Izzy, probably because he knew that he was not as gullible as her.

Alec wasn’t that reluctant to move to a new house as long as this new house was still here in the same town because there were Hodge and Magnus. His father sighed and took a deep breath.

“It’s a bigger house, as I said earlier, you’ll have your own room, Izzy won’t bother you anymore,’’ he explained while Alec opened his mouth to say that she never had really bothered him but his father thought that he wanted to protest so he quickly added: “And a little garden where you could shoot your arrows without hurting anyone.”

 _Here we go,_ thought Alec. Archery was always a good argument for his parents to bribe him.

His mom nodded. “You’ll be able to invite your friends like this, it’ll be better to play in a garden.”

Magnus didn’t mind staying inside to play, Hodge neither.

“Anyways, you don’t have the choice,” suddenly came to loudly conclude Robert as Alec was still silent.

“Where is this house?” he finally asked.

“Far away you’ll never see your friends ever again,” he seriously answered which made Maryse hit his arm.

“Robert,” she hissed. “It’s not that far and of course you’ll still go to the same school,’’ she hastened to say to not frighten him.

Alec insisted to see where was the house on a map, just to make sure they weren’t lying.

“Hodge’s house, your school and Magnus, I’m pretty sure you can see him,” trolled him his dad while he showed him where they were located on a map, on his phone.

Alec heaved a sigh, tired of his dumb jokes, which made him ruffle his hair. He was now relieved to see that they would stay in the same town and not as far away as his father had said.

“When do we move?” he asked.

Robert smiled. “Soon.”

Alec hoped that in this new house his study would always be opened, that Izzy would feel lonely enough to feel the need to share a room with him and that he would still have his precious belongings.

“Why do we move?” he suddenly asked his mom in the kitchen.

“We have more money now and you and your sister are growing up, it’ll be nice, wait and see,” she murmured before gently pushing him aside to open the fridge.

Alec confusedly wondered how much more money they had now, hoping that the house would be as fascinating as Hodge’s one but not as scary as it could be in the middle of the night. He then went to speak to his little sister, trying to convince her to share the same room.

Halas for him, she really wanted to have a princess room so living together was impossible.

“And I’m five years old now,” she haughtily said to show him that unlike him she was big enough to sleep on her own.

Upset, Alec went into his room to sulk to his heart content with his dragon. He was pretty sure that she wouldn’t be able to sleep by herself the first night, he didn’t call her a crybaby for nothing after all.

*

He stared at his mother with a skeptical look. He didn’t really understand why she had punished Izzy for a ring. His little sister was so popular among boys in kindergarten that she had many suitors, to whom she had asked to give her the best present and obviously, the best present did help her to choose her favorite.

The little Dimitri had been chosen, he had stolen the diamond ring of his mom for her and sadly for the two lovers, Maryse had finally noticed the diamond ring and was now angry that her daughter had extorted her classmates, because Izzy had kept all her suitors’ presents of course.

So now, she was more than ready to go to Dimitri’s house, to give back the ring and to apologize. Izzy wasn’t happy, it wasn’t her fault if she was a heartbreaker and she really wanted to keep the ring even if it was too big for her.

Alec couldn’t care less, he only waited for them to be ready in order to go to see Magnus and stay at his place for the whole day.

“It’s my ring,’’ she began to protest in the car before glancing at him with a tragic look on her face. “Why Alec is coming with us?” she asked with a pout.

“We’ll drop him at Magnus’ place.”

 Alec didn’t want to see what looked like Dimitri or to be here at all to see Izzy and the little boy being scolded.

He snorted. “He won’t love you anymore,” he noted.

Izzy shrugged. “I don’t care, I’ll love Nathan then, he gave me the second best present.”

He straightened up and smiled when he saw Magnus’ house while Izzy was telling him who she liked, why and what the presents she loved the best were.  He hastened to kiss his mom, ignored Izzy who opened the mouth to complain and quickly went out of the car.

He was excited, as it would only be the two of them, which hadn’t happened for a long time. This time, he will have Magnus all for himself and wouldn’t have to share him with anyone.

Mr. Bane opened the door. He was wearing a tie that Alec had never seen before, but weird as usual. The little animals printed looked a lot like ostriches. Mrs. Bane loved unusual cute things and always had weird gifts for her husband who wore them all.

The weirder the better, was their motto that Magnus definitely loved.

“You’re early for once,” he greeted him.

Alec sheepishly smiled given that he had already made Magnus waited more than once before. Nice tie, he wanted to say but he didn’t and shyly went inside.

“Magnus is upstairs,” he said before taking him to his fountain to show him how healthy his dear carps were.

Alec inwardly sighed as it was always the same thing. He slightly smiled when he remembered the face that had made Jem when Mr. Bane had officially introduced him the koi carps, Will hadn’t pretended at all to be interested in them and had stared at the chandelier the whole time.

He politely waited for him to finish before daring to go upstairs where he met Mrs. Bane who had just awoken apparently. She bent down to kiss him, asked how he was doing and if he wanted to eat something for breakfast. He politely refused,  he had already eaten a long time ago already.

“Magnus is still in bed but he’s awake, if he didn’t get back to sleep, don’t hesitate to shake him,” she said before going in one of the bathrooms of the corridor.

It wasn’t that early, they were maybe late risers, he thought before going straight into Magnus’ room. The curtains were opened, he was just lying in bed with incredible messy hair and was looking absently at the ceiling, in a daze.

He didn’t react when Alec jumped onto the bed, crushing him under his body but let out a little squeal. Now, he was definitely wide-awake but was still sleepily staring at him.

“You’re already here?” he mumbled.

He had dark eye bags, a consequence of sleepless nights haunted by nightmares, always the same ones, which were as frightening as they were when he was younger. He straightened up, stretched and noisily yawned when Alec suddenly spotted something that looked interesting in the bookshelf.

Never mind. It was the book Magnus had brought in school to educate him.

“Breakfast,” crooned Mrs. Bane before coming in, starling them. “Don’t put food everywhere.”

She had changed, had put on makeup and smelled good. She had even brought a glass of orange juice for Alec, like this, he wouldn’t stupidly watch Magnus eating his bowl of cereals. The latter looked even more awake as soon as he had food under his nose and became less and less lethargic witch each spoon full of cereals.

Alec didn’t even have the time to finish his orange juice that he was slowly drinking, Magnus had already eaten everything and looked full of energy.

“Put some clothes on and go brush your teeth,” reminded him his mom before taking the glass that Alec was still holding.

Once he was ready, they finally were able to go play in the garden where Mr. Bane had hidden a treasure map.

“There’re no hints?” Alec asked with narrowed eyes when he saw Magnus beginning to dig with a saucepan, as they had not found any shovels.

“In the garden he said,” Magnus enthusiastically declared.

But the garden was so big and Magnus’ fascination for pirates and treasure hunting as big. Alec sighed and began to dig with his salad bowl. They quickly became dirty and exhausted to find nothing. They were cold, despite their sweaters, and Magnus didn’t seem to find this game as amusing as before. Alec was looking at the pretty star shaped stone he had just found when he heard a gasp.

“What did you do to my garden?” asked Mrs. Bane with wide eyes after seeing all the holes in the ground and how dirty they were.

Magnus, who was now looking for the treasure map in a weird looking bush, shrugged. “Where’s the map?”

For the first time of his life, Alec saw what looked like an angry Mrs. Bane who didn’t get why they had felt the need to destroy her amazing garden, which didn’t look as amazing as it could be in summer, noted Alec with a glance for the yellow grass under his feet.

“We already have moles,” she angrily said.

Magnus’ lips pursed and he glanced at Alec with worry, feeling apologetic about the situation. They both kept the head down after being scolded louder when Mrs. Bane noticed the saucepan and the salad bowl covered with grass and dirt.

Magnus suddenly grabbed Alec’s arm after spotting the treasure map in a cypress and right in front of them. Mrs. Bane looked even more dejected and heavily breathed out to calm down.

She was no longer mad and obviously tried to put things into perspective while Alec was watching Magnus jumping to try to reach the map that was out of hands. Feeling sorry for them and their small size, she helped them and handed them the precious paper that her son hastened to roll out on the grass.

She heaved a sigh. “You’re not cold? You could have invited more friends for this treasure hunt, you know?”

Alec glanced up at her. He perfectly knew that she wanted Magnus to have many friends and to be always surrounding. As his first friend, he couldn’t help feeling hurt that his presence was no longer enough and that she no longer wanted him and only him to come over.

Yet, this time Magnus had invited him, only him, maybe he also had missed their alone time together when it was only the two of them and when their friendships with the others didn’t matter as much.

Magnus ignored her and pulled Alec’s hand to make him sit on the grass, he pulled him so suddenly that he made him collapse.

“Magnus,” scolded him his mom before walking away with the salad bowl and the saucepan. “Be good.”

“She’s right, you could have invited the whole school,” Alec nonchalantly said while taking a closer look at the map.

Magnus gave him a funny look before showing him on the map where was supposedly the treasure.

“It looks far.”

“That’s why we need to bring snacks and drinks with us,” Magnus said after standing up.

Alec frowned. “But you’ve already eaten,” he noted before remembering that he was always hungry.

“You’ll be in charge of the map and I’ll be in charge of the food.”

This time, Alec gave him a funny look. It’d better to switch otherwise the food wouldn’t last long. But Magnus insisted and with a little backpack they headed outside the mansion.

“Be careful,” Mrs. Bane said with a wave.

“A compass was really necessary?” asked Alec with a sigh.

Magnus nodded. “Yes,” he firmly stated while shaking his huge spoon –as they still hadn’t found any shovels-. “Don’t get lost.”

“I won’t get lost!”

Alec struggled a lot with the map and always had to ask him where they were, as he always ended to forget their position. Thankfully, Magnus perfectly knew the neighborhood otherwise they would already have been lost for a long time. Alec didn’t have a keen sense of directions which had made Magnus laugh in the beginning, now he was just shaking his head in despair and staring at him with weariness.

“Alec,” he sighed when the latter was convinced to be on the right track.

Then, he looked around with a frown and spun around with confusion before staring at him with surprise.

“You lost us,” he realized. “I don’t know this street.”

“No I didn’t,” he protested. He had enough, he didn’t have fun and they still hadn’t found the treasure. “I don’t know where we are on the map.”

“You’re holding it upside down.”

“I should have been in charge of the food,” he said when he saw Magnus eating a banana.

He didn’t seem worried about their situation so Alec didn’t worry either. They sat on the sidewalk, under a cypress, and calmly ate their snacks.

“At least, we won’t starve.”

Magnus giggled, which made his eyes narrow in a cheerful way. “We just have to walk back,” he mumbled, the mouth full.

Alec took a big bite of a tasty chocolate cake and nodded, he trusted him. He wouldn’t be able to help anyway given that he had been too focused on the map to remember their surroundings. He was somewhat glad to be lost in this fancy street with pretty huge houses, everything became an adventure with Magnus who made things a lot more fun.

They didn’t went back home immediately nor did they look for the treasure, they chased after a cute little squirrel after trying to bribe him with candies, compared the houses with a critical eye before walking randomly in this unknown neighborhood.

“See? We’re back,” Magnus declared with a little smile, still amazed by his nonexistent sense of directions.

Alec outran him with a grin.

“Don’t get lost,” yelled Magnus with a wide smile before running after him.

Mrs. Bane snorted when she heard about their twists and turns, and took them to the swimming pool for the rest of the day. She hadn’t noticed that they had forgotten the spoon somewhere and the two boys refrained from alluding to it, so they no longer talked about the treasure hunt that had been a huge fail, mainly because of Alec.

Magnus lent him one of his swimsuits as going to swimming pool wasn’t planned at all. Mrs. Bane had many friends over there who was waiting for her.

Alec remained speechless in front of the fancy swimming pool, which was quite different from the one he was used to. Obviously, it was for rich people given how white, how sparkly and how big the place was. It was another world where he was too scared to walk in order not to fall on the shiny marble like floor.

Magnus was used to it, he took a run-up before sliding on several meters.

“Be careful,” warned his mother.

She then pushed them into a cabin as big as Alec’s bedroom to let them change. Alec was so impressed with the decoration that he forgot to undress while Magnus sat on the soft blue carpet to take off his sockets with a frown before glancing up at him.

“Aaaaaaleeeec,” he said while pulling on his ankle.

Magnus didn’t look happy to wear a green swimsuit and began to look grumpy while glancing at Alec’s red one.

“Wanna switch?” he asked which immediately made his best friend happier.

So now, Alec was wearing the green swimsuit, which wasn’t that ugly despite what Magnus was thinking. The latter grabbed his hand and took him to a huge hall with three elevators. There wasn’t many people there but a few women with white robe who were noisily chatting.

Alec didn’t recognize Mrs. Bane right away among them.

“This is Magnus’ friend: Alec,” she introduced him and his face got pinched, stroked and pinched again by sharp nailed hands.

“You still have your beautiful eyes,” marveled a blonde woman to a jaded Magnus who seemed impatient to leave them and to have fun in the pool.

Magnus politely smiled, used to it, still holding Alec’s hand before sneaking away as soon as they laughed about something else.

“Don’t run,’’ Mrs. Bane loudly said when she saw them running away towards a corridor that led to the water space.

Alec’s eyes widened, there was a huge slide in the middle with several pools: for children and grown-ups, too deep for them for some. While he was looking at the blue water, Mrs. Bane came to them with a caramel foundation to hide the scare Magnus had on his chest. When he noticed what was going on, he stared at them not really understanding why but obviously, Magnus felt better about hiding his scar that was now completely gone.

“It’s waterproof,” explained his mom to a confused Alec who didn’t really care. “I’ll be over there,” she said while showing them the deckchairs next to the entrance and where her friends already were. “Stay where you’re able to touch the bottom,” she ordered with piercing eyes.

Alec nodded and Magnus quickly put on his arms his orange inflatable rings. He knew how to swim but wasn’t a confident swimmer, as soon as he couldn’t touch the bottom he became flustered and could no longer swim. Magnus was irrationally scared of drowning but he loved water, as long as it wasn’t too deep.

“You’re still scared?” Alec asked who saw that Mrs. Bane was staring at them from afar.

Magnus hesitated. “No.”

He still was, so Alec let him choose the pool where they could play with water guns.

“We’ll take the slide later,’’ Magnus promised before setting his sights on a non-deep pool, which the water reached their calves.

The whole place was quite quiet and not full with people, so they became the attraction of the pool attendants who kept staring at them with a little smile. Alec threw away his water gun and ran to the closest and deepest pool where he dived to escape from Magnus who jumped after him and landed on top of him, which made him sink deeper in the water.

Now, they could really swim like two little frogs towards the massage area to take a break. There were four beds under the chlorinated water with many bubbles. It was the only pool with swirls for the massages. They were too light to stay still on the beds and the bubbles too strong, which quickly became a game.

 Alec glanced at Magnus with a little smile, he had almost forgotten the prank he had to do about him moving house. It would be the occasion for him to see if Magnus cared about him. He had to tell him anyways.

“You know, I’ll move very soon,” he very seriously said while staring at his wrinkled fingers.

Magnus, who was filling up their water guns, stared at him without blinking. He was no longer cheerful or smiling but looked taken aback.

“Where?” he asked.

Alec immediately regretted his bad joke when he saw how sad he was. “In a new house.”

Magnus blinked and pursed his lips. He was about to cry. “I won’t see you again?”

Alec didn’t really know if his eyes were red because of the chlorine or of sadness but he felt really bad now.

“We’ll still see each other at school,” he said with a small voice.

Magnus frowned. “What?”

“I’m just moving house.”

Magnus blankly stared at him before slowly aiming at him with his water gun and emptied it on him. “You’re not funny!”

And because it wasn’t enough, he pulled his arm and jumped on top of him to make him sink. But Alec was laughing, which made him swallow water.

“Ew,” he choked when he managed to get his head out of the water.

Magnus began to sulk and ignored him to swim a bit further. Alec followed him, he might be not very funny, Magnus still cared about him obviously. He couldn’t help smiling which narrowed Magnus’ eyes.

“You’re not funny,” he said again.

“I know,” Alec murmured before being sprayed with water.

Magnus wouldn’t stay mad at him for a long time anyway, especially if he wanted to take the slide that was in one of the deepest pools of the whole place.

*

Alec nervously looked around to make sure that he hadn’t forgotten any toys or any belongings behind. The house was abnormally empty, he no longer recognized it as the place where he had lived seven years.

He didn’t want to leave.

But he had to.

As he was currently doing, his mom also checked everywhere to see if there was nothing left despite the emptiness of the entire house.

“Ah!” Izzy yelled to make an echo.

“It’s not a cave,” sighed Robert who was waiting for his wife and his son to definitely say goodbye to the house. “Maryse, we won’t spend the night here.”

Alec wasn’t the only one who was reluctant to leave, given his mother’s expression when she stared at the empty space that had been the living room.

When they finally left the house for good and where stuck into a traffic jam, Robert suddenly gasped.

“We forgot Church,” he realized.

Izzy’s eyes widened and she opened the mouth, ready to beg to go back to pick him up. Alec knew they would forget something important, he heaved a sigh, feeling his throat tighten in a very uncomfortable way.

Their mom was speechless and looked clearly confused. Then, she angrily hit his arm. “Don’t scare them, he’s already in the new house,” she hastened to say to calm them down before glaring at him. “It’s not funny.”

Robert snickered, he was proud of his bad joke. Alec knew where he got his bad sense of humor now, it wasn’t his fault if he wasn’t funny.

Izzy didn’t believe them so they had to insist to make her understand that he was probably taking a nap on the couch. Alec raised his head when he saw the huge park and the trees on the sidewalks. It was a pretty neighborhood and he began to have high expectations about their new house.

Indeed, it was a beautiful and two-story house, not as big as Magnus or Hodge’s one but definitely bigger than the previous one.

“Where’s the garden?” he asked when his dad parked next to his mom’s car.

Izzy had already unfastened her belt, impatient to see if Church was really there.

“Behind, on the other side,” Robert answered.

Alec remained doubtful and followed Izzy outside.

“Church is really inside,” insisted Maryse when she saw her impatiently hopping around.

Izzy and Alec couldn’t wait for her to insert the key into the lock and intently stared at her. She smiled, turned the key and pushed the door. Alec idly stayed on the doorstep while Izzy sneaked inside.

“Church!” she called as if he could answer.

Alec didn’t have to choice but to come inside as his dad was pushing him.

The ceiling was high, everything was higher, bigger, brighter and altogether better. It smelled new as well and despite the new setting, there was still the same old furniture among the new one.

Izzy was already upstairs in their parents’ bedroom and was tightly holding Church against her. He didn’t look that happy to see her and moved his tail in a bored way.

“Mrrh,” he meowed to protest with a glare.

“Where’s my room?” Alec lowly asked.

His mom smiled and took them for a guided tour. His room was downstairs, just in front of Izzy’s one, next to the living room. And Alec had to say that having his own space wouldn’t be that bad when he saw the gray walls, his bed and his belongings, where for once there weren’t any girly things among them.

He inwardly sighed with relief when he saw his bow and his dragon on the bookshelf with all his books. It looked rather great altogether.

He slightly winced when he saw his sister’s lilac room with furnishings worthy of a little princess. He lengthily stared at the Mulan poster and at the bed head that looked like a tiara before glancing at his mother with disgust.

“She likes it,” she murmured while Izzy was doing her best to put Church into his cat bed.

She then took them to the garden behind the house where their dad was trying to build a table for the patio. Izzy had merely began to run that she tripped and fell into the grass with a wince before straightening up and running for good.

Like a puppy.

Church stroked his head against Maryse’s ankles while Alec looking at his dad having a hard time. His study was upstairs and this time he didn’t know where they had hidden the key. It meant that he would have to look for it again and at this mere thought, he already felt tired.

 

After a long evening and once the boxes had been all emptied and the house had been entirely cleaned, Alec went to bed. He could no longer keep his eyes opened and was too tired to feel bothered by this unfamiliar bedroom.

He began to sink into a deep sleep when he suddenly heard three knocks at his door and a snarly meowing.

Who had said that she was five years old and old enough to sleep on her own? He knew it. Izzy was his baby sister, he would have been surprised if she had been more courageous.

She didn’t wait for him to allow her to come in and naturally went inside, threw Church on him and jumped next to him, as if it was her own bed.

“Good night,” she whispered before snuggling closer and breathing out with satisfaction.

You have your own room, he wanted to say but he was way too tired. Church’s whiskers tickled his forehead and his fur covered almost all his face, but here again Alec was too tired to push him.

 _It’s **my** room,_ he thought before falling soundly asleep.

*

He was cleaning his room and found his judogi under his bed. He wasn’t really happy to see the uniform, yet his first judo lesson had gone rather well. He had recognized some boys from his school and the trainer’s face hadn’t been so unfamiliar.

However, if he had the choice he wouldn’t go to the next lesson.

There were too many kids there, which made him nervous, as he had to interact with them. All that, in the interests of his archery lessons. He really hoped that it would be worth it.

He had been quite lucky to quickly find someone when they had to pair up, a boy named Corbin had picked him. They hadn’t talked at all but had had to grip each other right away for the sake of judo.

This sport was too handsy for Alec who would rather watch them and be left alone.

He just had to get used to it, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to attend his future archery lessons. He heaved a sigh and raised his head when he heard his mom calling him.

Had she discovered that he still could get inside his dad’s study? He cautiously went to her, not knowing what to expect.

He clearly didn’t expect to find Jem in his house and honestly he didn’t look really happy to be here. His caretaker who was here as well, didn’t seem the kind of woman to drag him where he didn’t want to go though.

His mom brightly smiled at him. “Your friend is here.”

Yes, he could tell. He didn’t know how she knew about their friendship but she clearly didn’t know that they weren’t friends enough to come over at each other’s house. The thing was that his mom had previously talked with Jem’s nanny and had understood that he was a very lonely child, given that his parents were far away somewhere in China.

Alec terribly wanted to go back into his room but it wouldn’t be polite so he silently stared at Jem who stared back at him.

They were still friends, right? He took a deep breath and tried to smile but his lips didn’t want to cooperate. His mom slightly frowned and gently grabbed his shoulder.

“Alec will show you his room.”

“It’s okay if he doesn’t,” Jem mumbled.

Alec let out a relieved sigh that upset his mother.

“Alec,” she hissed in a whisper. “Show him your room, it’s an order.”

“Why did you come here if you didn’t want to?” he asked him once they were far enough from the living room.

Jem sighed. “She didn’t tell me that we were going to your house, but you don’t look happy to see me either,” he reproached him.

Alec wasn’t because he still hadn’t invited Magnus to play in his new house and because it wasn’t planned.

“No I’m happy that you’re here,” he badly lied which made Jem look at him with his I’m-judging-you stare.

He didn’t know what kind of games they could play together nor if they could play together at all. He wasn’t used to Jem, not as much as Magnus, which made him extremely nervous.

“Hi,” Jem greeted Izzy when he saw her.

Izzy had put a tiara on Church for one of her doll plays and was holding him as if he was the new king. She stared at him, taken aback, before glancing at Alec.

“It’s Jem.”

Izzy’s eyes narrowed, she knew who he was, he was one of Magnus’ friends that had made Alec sad before -and still did but less than before-. She followed them into his room, probably to make sure that her brother would be fine but it would have been too risky to have her in the same room as Jem who was wondering why this little girl, who was wearing a tutu with a sword, was glaring at him.

“Go away,” Alec whispered before pushing her outside.

She didn’t have the time to do her puppy eyes to soften him, he had already closed the door. Church meowed. And she had left him here. Alec sighed while the grumpy cat moved closer to sniff Jem.

“He’s so fluffy,” noted Jem before petting him with a smile.

And under Alec’s astonished eyes, Church, the grumpy Church, this snarly cat, began to purr between Jem’s hands. Izzy wouldn’t like that. She wouldn’t like Jem at all if she came to learn that Church liked him a lot.

Church purred louder when Jem took him in his arms to bury his face against his long gray hair and affectionately stuck his fluffy head against his ear for more cuddles. Alec no longer regretted to have pushed his sister out of his room.

“Church doesn’t like anyone usually,” he said.

Jem looked at him with surprise. “Really?”

“You can keep him.”

Jem snorted, he was in a better mood than before and began to look at his room with curiosity, especially at his books. While Jem was taking a closer look at his book about spiders that his mom had bought thinking that he was interested them whereas he had been unable to look away from the scary cover when they were in the bookstore, Alec freaked out. Izzy was still behind the door and was currently scratching the wood with her fingers.

She was being weird and behaved like an angry cat to scare Jem who wasn’t paying attention to the noises.

“Can I read it?” his friend politely asked.

Alec nodded and Jem dropped Church who seemed disappointed to no longer be in his arms.

Surprisingly, they had fun together, despite Izzy and Church who were bothering them when they were trying to be better friends. They didn’t feel the need to go outside and stayed indoors, reading and doing puzzles.

Jem didn’t manage to open his puzzle box, like everyone else and seemed highly disappointed with himself when Alec told him that even Hodge no longer knew how to open it.

“I want to know what’s inside,” he insisted with a frown before trying again. 

Maryse barged in with a grumpy Izzy who gave Jem a dirty look. She smiled and pushed Izzy towards them. “She’s bored, play with her.”

Obviously, Izzy was too tiresome and they needed to take a break from her. Alec got uneasy, slightly afraid that she would misbehave and make him lose a friend. She still had her sword, but she gently sat next to him without saying anything.

It wasn’t a good sign.

Their mom left them after making sure that they were having fun, and Alec looked around to make sure that Church wasn’t too affectionate with Jem. He relaxed when he saw the cat taking a nap on his pillow.

Jem would never be ready to confront a jealous Izzy. Never.

Izzy behaved, she just kept staring at Jem and she did it, with the same intensity, until it was time for him to leave. Jem still didn’t seem to believe that he had fun with him as well and lengthily gazed at him as if it was still unbelievable that it had gone that well between them.

Jem thanked him again for letting him borrow the book about spiders. “See you tomorrow.”

Alec smiled and Jem and his nanny left.

“Good riddance,” Izzy said with all the seriousness of the world.

Maryse’s eyes widened and she stared at her with raised eyebrows. “Isabelle!”

“I don’t like him,” she insisted without clarifying the reasons.

“James is nice and he’s friend with Alec.”

Alec stared at her. “Now we’re friends.”

But it didn’t convince his little sister who drew her sword to play in the garden.

Alec hoped she would never know how cuddly Church had been with Jem.

 

The day after, Jem didn’t ask anything about Izzy. He probably hadn’t noticed how weird she was behaving, as for him it must have been normal. Alec knew that the afternoon he had spent with Jem would make Magnus jealous but he hadn’t really expected Will to be jealous as well.

Magnus because he still hadn’t seen his new room and because he seemed very close with Jem, like closer that he had never been with someone else than him, and Will because Jem’s caretaker was pretty strict and didn’t allow him that often to go to his friends’ house. Besides, Jem was for Will what Magnus was for Alec, but not as much.

*

He did his best to hide his disappointment but his mom had seen.

“He’s busy,” she explained for the umpteenth time.

He already knew that.

His dad had still not asked him anything about his first lesson of judo whereas Alec did it mainly to please him. He heaved a sigh, the heart swollen with sadness and resentment. He wished he was the one to accompany him for his first archery lesson but obviously, it was too much to ask.

Alec didn’t feel as enthusiastic as he should be and knew that his mom had done her best to free up her Saturday afternoon for him. He wanted his father to go there with him and not her.

But he felt grateful.

His mom was always here, not always in a good mood, but always here.

Alec perfectly knew what kept his father busy, which began to upset them all.

He didn’t know where they were exactly going but the archery place looked creepy. Either it was a warehouse or a sports hall but either way the building seemed really old. His mom didn’t seem bother by the sight of it and pushed the squeaky door.

It looked better inside. It smelled funny but it was better than the outside.

Too focused on the targets hung on the walls and on the people who were aiming at them with amazing bows, Alec didn’t notice right away the pot-bellied man who was coming to them and who looked like a younger version of Santa Claus without a beard, if he had really existed.

“Hi, you must be Alec?” he asked with a wide smile.

Alec peered at him without shaking his hand, which didn’t seem to bother the man.

“He’s shy,” apologized Maryse.

She had almost said that he was savage in a slip of the tongue.

“It’s okay,” he said with the same smile. “I’m Edward Hood, you can call me Edward, Eddie, or Ed-Ed.”

Alec could no longer hide his smile but he stubbornly looked at the floor. As he was the only child and there were only adults enrolled, Ed-Ed didn’t have any bows for children among his equipment.

“Anyone can borrow an archery set, they’re all available but most of the time people tend to buy their own set.”

Alec kept gazing at all the archery sets gathered in a small locker and noticed the broken arrows. There was even a bear cuddly toy with a lot of holes. The toy seemed to have suffered a lot.

The pot-bellied instructor was advising his mom about the adequate equipment for him, depending on his strength and his built, while he was staring at a woman who was shooting a pink arrow.

“There’re youth bow sets of course, given his size I’d say that a simple archery set would be enough and when he’ll get older a junior compound bow kit or a recurve bow will do the trick.”

“Does that mean he’ll need different bows depending on his growth?” asked Maryse with a frown.

“No, of course not, I’ve kept mine till I was nineteen and I got my first bow when I was ten. It’ll depend on him, if he wants to do archery on competition or not. A bow is the extension of the arm, it easily and quickly became an intimate tool, so I doubt he’d want to change his bow that easily once he’ll get his own.”

Maryse glanced at him. Ed-Ed smiled before asking him what were his dominant hand and eye.

Alec was right handed and right eye dominant but he wanted to know whether it was possible to be right handed and left eye dominant.

Ed-Ed breathed in. “It’s more difficult but yes it happens, you have to adapt then, if you’re left eye dominant it’s better to shoot left handed if possible.”

Then, Alec and his mom sat on a dusty tatami mat to see how great Ed-Ed the instructor was teaching.

“How will you call him?” she whispered.

“Ed-Ed.”

She nodded with a little smile before wincing when she saw how much a person had missed the target with his arrow. Alec stared at the certificates and shiny rewards on the wall, impressed to see so many of them.

His mother didn’t seem to mind that only older people were enrolled. She perfectly knew that Alec felt more at ease with adults than kids of his age but as long as he did his best to socialize at his judo lessons, even if it was just to please them, she was fine with it. Besides, it was what he really wanted to do.

Alec stood up when Ed-Ed called him over to try a huge bow, almost as tall as him. It wasn’t that heavy, not as much as he would have thought it would. His hand closed around the black material and he narrowed his eyes at the closer sight of the cables and pulleys.

“It’s a compound bow,” explained Ed-Ed before showing him how to hold it correctly. “It has a lot of technical advantages.”

It didn’t look like an ordinary bow, which fascinated Alec who thought until now that a bow was only a curved piece of wood –or plastic like the one he had at home-. Ed-Ed gently closed his hands on his, without crushing his fingers, to lead him while holding the bow, which was too heavy for Alec.

They put the arrow in the rest, nocked it and pulled the string before aiming. They weren’t holding the string itself but a strap to grip the release.

“Now try to stare in the peephole and try to find out your anchor point,” he murmured.

Alec frowned and looked up at him. Ed-Ed snorted. “Don’t hold it this tightly,” he added before trying to unfold his fingers that where tightly holding the bow. “Like that.”

Then, Alec heard a click and the rollovers of the pulleys. The arrow had reached the target and was now stuck into the yellow circle, two inches away from the center.

 _Again,_ he enthusiastically thought.

From all of his seven years of age, Alec could already tell that this archery club would be his happy place. And the way he brightly smiled at his mom right after, convinced her to pay the expensive inscription fees. He even hugged her to thank her, so happy to be this close of being a true archer.

“See you next time Alec,” said Ed-Ed Hood with a wide grin.

Alec smiled back and followed his mom outside. He had already forgotten how disappointed he had been in his dad and tightly held his mother’s hand who seemed genuinely pleased to see him so happy.

*

Alec woke up, feeling dizzy and sick. He blinked and frowned. His throat hurt, he had a stuffy nose, was hot and shivering, and it was as if his head was trapped into a bubble. He slowly breathed in with his mouth, opening his lips to grab some air, as his nose no longer did its job.

He tried to call his mom but no sound came out from his mouth. His voice cracked and he cawed an awful and inhuman sound. He had lost his voice. And to say that today was supposed to be an important day: the day where every classes of second grade had to go to the Natural History Museum, which meant no boring lessons, no Mrs. Fear –as she had broken her leg a few days before-, a lot of interesting things to see, more Magnus and to have lots of fun.

Besides, Aline had promised to bring a lot of candies for the trip in the bus.

He’ll miss all of that.

He was too sick to really feel sad or disappointed but was definitely still bitter that Magnus had promised to Will to sit beside him in the bus for both ways. Not as bitter as Jem who had wanted to sit beside Will as well.

Alec no longer minded, he wouldn’t be there and wouldn’t be jealous. He was pretty sure that it was Will’s revenge towards him for having invited Jem over the other day. He could be jealous as well but it made him really stupid and childish. Like this, Jem will be able to sit with Tessa who seemed to really like him.

Too sick to really get worried about the situation, he nonetheless smiled at the thought of missing his judo lesson. He couldn’t help feeling relieved. It was interesting but there was a boy he really hated: Preston.

Preston, aka Mr. Show-off, the perfect Preston, Preston the arrogant, Preston the most annoying kid in the world who was seriously getting on his nerves because he was so-called perfect and the thing was that he wasn’t.

Alec hated him.

He coughed and Izzy nosily barged in his room with Church who hastened to sneak inside with his grumpy crushed muzzle.

“Get up!” she yelled before jumping on his bed, crushing his stomach and the lower sensitive part of his anatomy with her knees. He winced and silently whined. “Mom, Alec doesn’t want to go to school!” she carried on after making herself comfortable.

Church pounced near his head, sniffled his hair and his cheek, tickling him with his long hair and his whiskers, before lying down near his pillow with narrowed eyes. Trapped into a torpidity state, Alec slowly blinked, beginning to feel worse and worse.

“Alec?” his mom said with worry in the doorway, before noticing how pale and groggy he looked. “Izzy go brush your teeth,” she added while coming closer.

She inadvertently sat on Church’s tail, apologized with a little wince and stuck her hands on Alec’s forehead and cheeks, then on his neck. 

“He’s sick?” Izzy realized while looking at her brother with worry, before patting his head to comfort him.

He scowled when his mom pressed her fingers harder to feel his swollen glands. “Does it hurt ?” she asked with a frown.

She was pressing too hard but other than that nothing really hurt.

“Izzy go brush your teeth, and bring me the thermometer, Alec won’t go to school today.”

She quickly left and loudly asked to Robert to help her with the thermometer as Alec was really sick. Her brother blankly stared at his mom who was lost in thought, she was probably thinking about how organizing her day with this unexpected problem.

Hid dad called the school to let them know that he wouldn’t be able to come and Izzy also wanted to be sick to not go to school but she didn’t have the choice, Alec neither. He had a high fever and secretly hoped that he wouldn’t get a shot when he’d see the doctor.

“Alec,” sighed his mother when she saw his pout. “We’ll go to the National History Museum another day, besides there’s nothing much inside, you would have been disappointed,” she added while parking behind the doctor’s office.

He didn’t have the flu but an angina and an ear infection, happily said the old man in front of him who hadn’t seen him for a while.

“You’re almost a young man now,” he added with a little smile.

I’m only seven, wanted to say Alec but he couldn’t talk and only cawed. Maryse clearly looked preoccupied because of her job and had to use her phone several time but at the same time, she seemed almost happy to nurse him and to spend the whole day with him in the house.

The doctor prescribed a lot of medication for him and insisted to check his mom as well to make sure that everything was fine while Alec was looking with curiosity at the skeleton that was wearing a pink cowboy hat.

Once at home, he quickly got bored and too sleepy to do anything like archery, reading or even going through his father’s study as usual. Wrapped up into a warm blanket on the couch, he watched his mom putting a heating pad on his belly, and getting a cup of milk ready for him with a lot of honey.

She checked again his heat with her lips on his forehead and straightened up. “If you feel really bad call me, I’ll be upstairs.”

Alec nodded and she suddenly remembered that he couldn’t really say anything.

“Make some noise but don’t break anything.”

As soon as she left the living room, Alec closed his eyes, wrapped into a comfortable warmth. He had a strange dream, he was in a museum, by himself, and everything around him weirdly looked like Hodge’s house, even the exhibit works looked like the weird objects he had at home or in his shop. Above him were swimming Mr. Bane’s koi carps in the air, which made him stop walking to better stare at them with narrowed eyes. Fishes needed water to survive, right? So why were they swimming into the air? Highly disturbed by this sight, he looked down at his feet to see his butchered dragon, Magnus’s pterodactyl and his dinosaurs who were waiting for him to move forwards.

They were alive.

He woke up with a start and saw that he was no longer wrapped into the blanket and that he no longer had the heating pad on his belly but Church had taken its place and was taking a nap on his warm tummy.

He softly pet him and went back to sleep with furrowed brows as to prevent any weird dreams to occur again.  Deep inside, he really wanted to go the museum and was worried to miss all the fun moments his friends will share without him.

He hoped that Magnus and Will wouldn’t become too close before remembering that it was already too late but hoped that Tess and Jem would, like this it would make Will incredibly jealous as he had a crush on her and that Tessa had a crush on Jem.

He coughed and smiled before falling asleep for good.

 

He didn’t get any better and didn’t go to school for four days. Magnus called him the first day, as soon as he had gotten home to tell him about the museum excursion that he had missed, but Alec was asleep and even if he had been awake wouldn’t have been able to talk to him without his voice. So, Maryse told him that as soon as he could talk, Alec would call him back.

Aline had even kept some candies for him that she had slid into the plastic pouch for his homework and he even got a card that his classmates had written for him. Nobody had put his name on it so Alec quite struggled to recognize the writing. There was the writing of a smarty-pants next to one of Magnus’ drawings, so he assumed that Jem had written it and smiled.

He felt good at home but he did miss school a little bit.

*

Izzy scowled and began to sulk in the car. It was once again their mom who had picked them up at school. Their dad was too busy and not because of his work.

“He’s still looking for the little boy?” Alec suddenly asked, whereas he wanted to ask if he was still obsessed with the missing little boy because he clearly was.

His father’s guiltiness had trapped him into an endless hunt to discover where he had gone and how and why his parents had died. And it still excessively fascinated Alec to see his dad so into it, even if it was to his sister and his own expense.

His mom tensed up and immediately glanced at him despite driving.

“Alec,’’ she firmly said. “Are you still going into his study?”

“No, I don’t know where’s the key,” he lied.

She stared at him and looked back at the road with a slight frown before dropping the subject.

“Izzy, do you remember Clary?”

Izzy looked up and narrowed her eyes, trying to remember who Clary was.

“We saw her the other day with her mom, she was with Luke,” added Maryse who was looking at her through the rearview mirror. “We’re going to see her later.”

Alec’s eyes brightened. If he stayed at home alone, it meant that he would be able to go into his dad’s study.

“Why?” Izzy asked with a frown. “She invited me to her house?”

“You’re also coming,” Maryse said to Alec who let out a disappointed sigh. “Her mom and I are friends, she invited me so I’m invited the both of you to come with me. It’s been a while since we saw each other,’’ she lowly said.

“But you saw her the other day,” Izzy reminded her.

“Only for two seconds.”

Alec hoped he wouldn’t get bored and wondered if he could bring a book. They quickly got home, the time to drop their stuff, to eat a snack and were ready to leave for Clary’s house. He didn’t really know why but when he saw that Izzy was bringing her Mulan doll with her, he decided to take two of his dinosaurs, just in case, and because his mom didn’t allow him to take a book with him.

Clary was only five years old so Alec already knew that he was too old to play with her and that Izzy and she would play by themselves and put him aside.

Clary and her mom lived in an old building, in a small apartment, quite far from their place. While Izzy was whining about a run over cat on the road, Alec was wondering why Clary didn’t have a dad.

“Where’s her dad?” he asked.

His mom ignored him. She had to have a dad, her mom couldn’t have her by herself, as he had seen in Magnus’ book.

The elevator didn’t work, Maryse sighed, pushed the button one last time before turning around to take the stairs. Izzy was pretty excited and couldn’t wait to meet Clary so she quickly climbed the stairs without knowing where to go if not upstairs.

“Izzy!”

Alec silently and slowly followed them while making sure that he still had his dinosaurs in his pocket. Clary lived in the eleventh floor and Maryse clearly seemed relieved that the corridor looked rather in a good state unlike the rest of the building. She rolled her eyes and lifted Izzy to let her ring the doorbell.

“You’ll play with Clary?” she whispered.

Alec looked up and saw that she was talking to him. Of course he intended to do so if she let him play with her.

“Don’t mind her mom,” she added. “You have to play with her.”

Alec stared at her, slightly worried, and he was going to ask why but the door suddenly opened, frightening him and Izzy who stepped backwards and clang to their mom’s legs. The woman in front of them smiled when she saw them, she had red long hair and was quite pale. Alec recognized her, he had seen her on a picture, in Hodge’s back-shop, holding a little girl. Her smile still didn’t appear in her eyes but his mom smiled back and hugged her before asking them if they remembered her.

Izzy shook her head while Jocelyn was staring at her with the same lifeless smile. Other than seeing her in a picture, Alec didn’t recognize her either. Jocelyn did and marveled about how much they had grown up.

While they were still chatting on the doorstep, Alec kept staring at the neck of his mom’s friend. She had a beautiful colorful drawing tattooed there. It was a branch of a tree with several flowers with many petals. He kept staring at it, until he noticed the ugly scar underneath the colorful inks.

The scar wasn’t really ugly, as it was covered with the beautiful branch of a tree, but impressive and did the whole left side of her neck.

As if someone had slit her throat.

Jocelyn noticed his stare and immediately stopped smiling, becoming self-conscious, and clearly tensed up before hiding her neck in a gesture she tried to make natural. Maryse immediately looked down at him and grabbed his shoulder to make him understand that it wasn’t polite to look so intently at someone.

“Come in,” finally allowed them Jocelyn with a sheepish smile.

She didn’t have to ask them twice, Izzy ran inside and stopped right away in the entrance when she saw another little girl who looked as startled as she was.

“Clary come say hi.”

Clary was still looking at Izzy, impressed, given the expression in her eyes and her opened mouth. They were the same age but she was so tiny beside Alec’s little sister, she still seemed to be a baby. She looked really intimidated when she noticed him and immediately went to hide behind her mom’s legs with fearful eyes.

Alec wondered if he should have smiled.

Clary looked as sad as her mom and was the saddest little girl Alec had ever met.

She was obviously afraid to meet strangers and didn’t even greet them, stubbornly hiding her face into her mother’s legs, to not meet their gaze.

Maryse smiled and bent down to greet her. “Hi Clary, do you remember me? I saw you the other day with Luke.”

As soon as she heard the name Luke, Clary peered at her for one second before squeezing Jocelyn’s legs harder between her tiny arms and burying her face against her. She looked like a little mouse or a baby koala, Alec couldn’t decide yet.

She looked extremely shy.

Jocelyn took them to the living room crowded with many canvas on the walls, on the floor and on a very dirty table stained with paint. No wonder it smelled like paint as soon as she had opened the door, intriguing Alec who wanted to take a closer look at the paintings.

Izzy was desperately trying to make an eye contact with Clary who stubbornly ignored her, making her scowl. Both of them were behaving like babies and made the situation even more awkward that it already was between their moms. Alec felt pretty bad and inwardly swore to not look at Jocelyn’s neck when she grabbed a weird fabric, on the old and damaged couch, that she wrapped around her neck.

“Izzy,” whispered Maryse before sitting down. “Show Clary your doll.”

Her attempt to make her friendlier failed as Izzy was now ignoring Clary who was shyly looking at her doll with a glimpse of interest, still clinging to her mom with whom she had a very special bond. A bond that Alec’s sister and his mom didn’t have.

Maryse breathed in. “Maybe Clary could show them her room and her toys,” she suggested with a gentle smile for the little girl.

Clary glanced up at her mom who blinked, slightly surprised and hesitant. “Clary doesn’t have toys.”

This time Alec glanced up at his mom with a slight frown before walking away to take a better look at the paintings tossed aside.

“She doesn’t have toys?”

“No she could get hurt.”

Izzy suspiciously gazed at her doll, scared to be suddenly attacked, and frowned.

“I heard that she’s unschooled,” Maryse lowly added, the voice full of concerns.

“It’s dangerous outside,” Jocelyn answered while Alec rolled his eyes.

She wasn’t wrong but wasn’t right either. He glanced at them, feeling watched and saw that Clary was peering at him and at Izzy who was going towards him.

Jocelyn’s paintings were all scary with a lot of red and dark with a main theme: death. He quickly covered his sister’s eyes to prevent her from having nightmares as he was staring closer at a fresh painting as big as a door on the dirty table. He didn’t identify right away the pale thing surrounded by dark feathers and blood as a little boy. He didn’t look human and was wearing a bracelet where his name was written: Jonathan.

The blood on his body, on his face and on his hand looked so real that he stepped backwards with a wince.

Izzy pinched his hand to see the painting. “It’s ugly,” she loudly said.

“Shhh,” he hissed before covering her mouth.

But Jocelyn had heard. The three of them had heard, which made him glare at Izzy who drooled between his fingers.

His mother intently stared at him before quickly glancing at Clary, making him understand that he had to play with her somewhere else, to let her freely talk with Jocelyn. Okay, he thought while grabbing his sister’s hand and walked towards the little mouse with a frown.

“Show me your room,” he almost aggressively asked –which made his mom sigh and whisper _be nice_ -after grabbing her hand. “Please,” he added when he saw her eyes widened.

Clary was definitely a scared little mouse and her mother a rat with the way she looked at him, ready to come between them. Even though, the little mouse looked frightened she automatically squeezed his hand and without a glance for her mom, for the first time since they were here, obediently took them to her room.

“I can’t believe you shut her away like this,” Maryse murmured while Clary was taking them with her. “What are you scared of?”

They walked through the kitchen and reached a small bedroom in which there were two beds. Clary was sleeping with her mom obviously. Apart from the beds, the carpet, the closet, the night table and a small bookshelf, the bedroom was empty. There was nothing much there.

Alec briefly wondered if they were poor to explain the lack of furniture and the fact that Clary didn’t have toys at all nor books. She was still holding his hand and was peering at him while still avoiding making any eye contact with Izzy for no reason.

Izzy wasn’t that impressive though.

“You really don’t have toys, like not at all?” she loudly asked.

Clary shook her head.

“What are you doing then?”

 _Nothing,_ thought Alec who was wondering how could she not get bored. Yet, she showed them. She had a great imagination. She took one of her mom’s paintbrushes, sat on the floor before painting an imaginary scenery on the white wall. All her games were invisible.

Alec and Izzy glanced at each other while Clary was looking at them out of the corner of her eyes, aware of her weirdness and how not fun she was.

They had to play with her. She needed to play with someone.

She was cute and Izzy loved cute things. She no longer seemed to mind that Clary still didn’t make any eye contact with her or didn’t speak either. She now felt at ease for three, talked for three and was entertaining enough for the three of them.

Alec sighed and rolled his eyes when his sister bragged for the umpteenth time about her doll who was now between Clary’s hands.

But Clary didn’t seem to care about the Mulan doll and was admiringly staring at Izzy, impressed and fascinated. Besides, Izzy who wasn’t used of being admired talked louder and was showing off while Clary nodded her head from time to time.

Alec stood back, Izzy was doing great and he didn’t want to scare Clary who easily could be frightened by anything. Yet, she offered him an invisible cup of tea that he took.

With a smug face, Izzy looked rather pleased with Clary who was now friendlier. She was now smiling. Her smiles were shy, hesitant and a poor imitation of Izzy’s ones but they were there on her face, which was much better.

She even began to speak, when Izzy who was really excited let her do so, but her sentences always ended with the intonations of a question. She wasn’t really speaking but asking, confusing Alec and Izzy until they realized that it was her way of talking and that they didn’t have to answer her.

Sitting on a circle, Clary served them some imaginary tea, with an invisible tea set, before doing the same to an empty spot.

There were only the three of them here but she was behaving like there was someone else with them. A fourth person who was as invisible as her games.

Alec stared at her, especially when she brightly smiled at the invisible spot that she was looking at.

“He likes you?” she said in a small voice.

“Who?” asked Izzy who was sharing her invisible cup of tea with her doll.

“Jonathan?” Clary whispered as if it was a secret. “He said that you were funny?” she added for Izzy who was now staring at the same imaginary spot where was supposedly Jonathan.

So she had an imaginary friend, Alec didn’t mind. He drank his tea while Izzy fidgeted.

“Does he want sugar?” she asked, naturally playing along.

Clary stared to the right. “Yes, he said that you’re nice?”

Izzy cheerfully smiled, happy to be appreciated by Jonathan, and bent over to give him some sugar. “You’re welcome,” she said.

Clary was now proudly looking at her and looked genuinely happy. Alec kept staring at them and at Jonathan, feeling uneasy and too old to play along. They weren’t four but only three in the bedroom. He sincerely doubted that Izzy could see him.

He straightened up under her watchful eyes.

“Where are you going?” asked Izzy with surprise. “Jonathan wants to play with you.”

Alec’s throat tightened, he didn’t want to play with him. Clary nodded.

“He really likes you, he wants to know if you remember him?”

He frowned, why would he remember him? Did they already have met each other? He didn’t want to know and quickly left, hoping to not be followed by Jonathan. He felt incredibly relieved to see his mom on the couch and closely sat next to her.

Maryse smiled and he leaned against her arm while she was stroking his hair and she even dropped a quick kiss on his forehead.

“Is Clary having fun?”

Jocelyn was intently staring at him, looking out for his answer. He nodded. “They’re best friends now.”

“See? I told you it’ll do her some good, she’s only five,” his mom said to her friend who avoided her eye.

“Are you hungry?” Jocelyn lowly asked.

“No thank you, Alec and Izzy have already eaten.”

“Are you thirsty then?”

Alec nodded, he wanted to drink a real tea or a real beverage. Jocelyn slightly smiled at him and stood up while adjusting her weird scarf around her neck. He followed her in the kitchen to help her.

“You look so much like your parents,’’ she marveled after glancing at him, which made him smile.

She handed two glasses that he quickly brought and put on the coffee table near the couch in the living room. His mother was looking with concern at the painting that had troubled him earlier. He silently stared at her for a while before going back into the kitchen.

Jocelyn had handed him altogether six glasses. They were only five. He gazed at her but didn’t say anything and brought the last glasses in the living room.

Clary and Izzy were on the couch, sharing secrets with loud whispers and giggles. Jocelyn looked rather surprised to see her daughter this lively and silently exchanged a glance with Maryse who gave her a look full of _I told you_.

“Your style changed a lot.”

Jocelyn shrugged and put the bottles of soda and of orange juice on the table. Jonathan didn’t seem to be here, noted Alec who was looking around. His mom was staring at the sixth glass with confusion and grabbed it to put it aside.

“It’s for Jonathan,” Alec said to prevent her from taking it.

She blinked. “What?”

Her eyes had widened and immediately looked at Jocelyn who had heard them. Her lips were pursed and her face had hardened.

“Jocelyn, why there’s a sixth glass on the table? Is it for Luke?”

Alec opened the mouth to repeat that it was for Jonathan but she quickly covered his mouth with her hand. She was angry and scary with the way she was staring at her friend, as if it was the first time she was seeing her.

“Jocelyn,’’ she firmly and loudly insisted.

Izzy and Clary had calmed down and were looking at them with worry.

“Who is it for?”

“Jonathan,” murmured Clary while clinging to her mom. “He loves orange juice,” she mumbled against her leg.

“He’s nice,” added Izzy with a small voice.

Alec was sincerely glad that he wasn’t the one his mom was looking at. Izzy slightly curled up and was ready to cry, their mother looked so shocked and horrified but scary at the same time.

“It’s helping her to cope,” Jocelyn hissed in a murmur. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Luke never said anything,” hissed back Maryse with wide eyes.

“Because I’ve asked him not to.”

Jocelyn looked now as scary as she was and Clary had decided to stop clinging to her and clung into Alec who sighed. Izzy, who was still looking at their moms who were fighting with whispers, moved closer.

“Why are you playing along?” asked Maryse so loudly that she was almost yelling at Clary’s mom. “It won’t help you to mourn him!’’

Now, Izzy and Clary were both clinging onto him whereas Alec could only cling onto himself.

“He’s dead?” he asked Clary.

So Jonathan was a ghost.

Clary nodded, stroking her cheek against his shoulder. “Daddy hit him several times with a knife. Mommy too, she has drawings on her body because it was ugly?”

Alec forgot to breathe, especially when for the first time Clary stared at him straight into his eyes.

“Mommy can’t see him and can’t hear him but he cries a lot because it hurts so much and he wants to be hugged but he’s dead…,” she sighed. “Daddy is so evil,” she whispered.

Izzy began to sob against Alec, which interrupted their moms’ quarrel. Indeed, her dad was evil to have deadly hurt her brother and wounded Jocelyn. Izzy cried louder and when Clary saw her cheeks flooded with tears, her eyes became watery, her chin quivered and she began to cry as well.

There were now two crybabies in Alec’s arms.

Maybe three if Jonathan was also crying by himself somewhere in the living room.

A few minutes later, the both of them had calmed down, the four of them had calmed down thanks to Maryse who had taken three lollipops from her purse.

“Jonathan too loves lollipops,” Clary had shyly said.

Maryse had taken a fourth one that she handed to her and Clary put it on the table with a little smile.

A deadly silent surrounded them as they went outside to play in the nearest park.  Jocelyn didn’t want to go out, overprotective as she was with her daughter who seemed really excited to play outside with Izzy and Alec. In the stairs, she looked like an excited puppy who would see the grass for the first time. She tripped several times, making her mom gasp with fear.

Alec stood back, hoping to hear more from his mom and hers but they weren’t talking. Not about that but about neutral and boring things like Luke, the apartment that he rented them, how close Clary and him were and blah blah blah.

Clearly, if Izzy cried, Clary would cry as well. If she tripped over her own feet, so would Clary who seemed to worship her with the way she was gazing at her. Clary wasn’t looking in front of her, she was looking at Izzy who was more interesting.

Alec snorted when he saw how tall Izzy was next to her and how mother like she behaved with the tiny Clary. He walked faster to reach them but didn’t intend to take one of her hands.

“Why did your dad kill him?”

Clary stopped gazing at Izzy and glanced at him before taking his hand.

“He’s crazy?”

Obviously he was.

“Where is he now?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, mommy doesn’t know either, he does bad things somewhere else? Mommy says that he’s wanted.”

So, he was still out there. Alec squeezed her hand tighter and Izzy began to run when she spotted the park in front of them. Clary let out an excited squeal when she ran and followed her, making Alec run after them. Jocelyn screamed something behind them but she was too far, she was probably telling them to not run, fearing that Clary would fall.

There was only one slide in the park with a swing, nothing else.

“Jonathan wants to hold your hand,” Clary said when he pushed her on the swing.

Alec quickly put his hands in his pockets and suddenly remembered that he had his dinosaurs in them.

“I’ll hold his hand later.”

She smiled and waved at her mom who was staring at them on a bench. Alec could tell that she was on the lookout, ready to spring if Clary hurt herself. He could also tell that his mom was doing her best to distract her in order to let Clary have some fun.

Jocelyn was overprotective, she had lost a child and only have Clary now.

Alec stared back at her before pushing Izzy.

What had to happen happened, Clary fell on her knees because of Izzy’s enthusiasm. It wasn’t a big fall but it was still painful, given Clary’s surprise and wince. She had fallen on her knees, Izzy had pulled her arm too hard when they were holding hands because Clary didn’t run fast enough.

Jocelyn literally fell upon them with clenched jaws.

Alec, who had been watching them running around on the swing, had straightened up and his eyes widened when he saw her raising her hand to hit Izzy for having hurt her baby girl. The worst was probably Izzy’s reaction. She never had been really hit in her entire life but she naturally curled up into a ball to avoid her hand, knowing what would happen to her.

It had happened that their parents had given them spanks when they were too disobedient but usually they were rather obedient kids and if their parents raised their voices or put them into a corner to make them reflect on their misbehavior, it was enough, they never had felt the need to discipline them with slaps.

If Jocelyn had been fast, Maryse was even faster. She pushed Izzy behind her and glared at her friend with all the contempt of the world. Izzy, still curled up, glanced up while Alec carefully moved closer.

“Look, she’s fine,” surprisingly stated their mom with a calm but firm voice.

Clary was now standing on her own two feet, her knees were dirty and her hands had still the marks of the stones in their palms but altogether she looked perfectly fine. She just stared at her mom, perfectly knowing what the outcome would be, and her lips curled down into a sad pout.

Jocelyn was livid, as if she had realized how absurd her behavior had been. She lengthily stared at Maryse, blankly, before breathing in.

“We’re going home.”

Clary’s eyes widened with sadness. She then glanced at Izzy who looked as shaken as she was. Alec discreetly and quickly went towards her while their moms were staring at each other and gave her his dinosaurs.

“For Jonathan.”

Clary didn’t have the time to thank him or to even hid them, her mother suddenly took her into her arms and quickly walked off. Izzy whined and waved at Clary who buried her face into her mom’s shoulder to hide her tears.

She was still holding tightly the dinosaurs into her hands and Izzy had let her favorite doll at their place. At least, now Clary and Jonathan would have toys to play with.

 

The way home was awful and heavily silent. Alec had never seen his mom like this and Izzy couldn’t stop sighing and sniffling. He couldn’t wait to be home where he’d feel at ease and not overwhelmed by intensive and stressful moments.

“Mom, why Clary’s dad killed Jonathan? He didn’t like him?”

His mother sniffled and he suddenly realized that she had been hiding her tears throughout the whole drive.

He remained quiet and his stomach growled. He hoped that his dad had cooked and would know who to cheer them up.

 

Lying on his bed with Church and staring at the ceiling, Alec didn’t have the will to spy on his parents who were talking about what happened with Jocelyn and Clary. Izzy came in to take Church, she was still silent and sulky.

“Do you really see Jonathan?” he asked.

Izzy shook her head and frowned when Church meowed to stay where he was before deciding to stay here as well to pet him. Alec glared at her when she lay down next to him, crushing his arm under her behind.

“Hey,” he protested.

She didn’t care and only moved when their mom called her before coming in with her phone.

“I don’t know if she’ll accept your apology,” she said on the phone before handing it to Izzy. “Jocelyn wants to apologize.”

Alec stared at her, she seemed to have calmed down. He scowled when she naturally sat on his bed as well while Izzy grabbed the phone, too happy to be able to speak on it.

“Hello? Yes?”

She quickly accepted Jocelyn’s apology but only if she could speak to Clary.

“You’re friends again?” Alec asked his mom.

She looked surprised. “Of course, it’s just complicated, you saw how she is...she wasn’t like this before.”

“Clary!” chirped Izzy before suspiciously looking at them. “It’s a private conversation,” she haughtily said.

Maryse snorted and grabbed Alec by the arm. “It’s my room,” he protested and it wasn’t as if Clary would be talkative on the phone. He was pretty sure that she would let Izzy speak and would only nod.

He still had to leave, which he grumpily did to settle on the couch where his mom had taken out a photo album.

“Mom, why did Clary’s dad kill Jonathan?” he asked again when she sat next to him to look at some pictures.

“I don’t know, he was evil and insane and it didn’t combine…until the end he was a dark horse, you never can entirely trust people,” she mumbled before smiling when she saw a picture of Izzy dozing off in front of the TV with Church on her lap when she still had her cast.

Alec sighed and also looked at the pictures, resting his head against her arm, which made her happy that he was cuddly. There were many pictures of him and Izzy, he smiled when he saw his two years old self holding the tiny baby that had been his sister. In the picture, he was frowning and looking at her as if she was a very dirty thing.

“I already knew she would be annoying,” he seriously said.

“Alec,” his mom sighed. “She was a very beautiful baby…but she was crying so much, until we put her in your arms,” she added with fondness.

He marveled in front of a younger version of his parents.

“You were pretty.”

“I still am.”

His smile widened when he saw a younger Hodge with other young looking people gathered in a picture. He recognized his parents, Jocelyn next to a man who was in the center. He was warmly smiling, crushing the other with his presence and charisma. Beside him, the young Jocelyn was like a little mouse.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

His mom stared at the picture and hastened to turn the page. “No one.”

He stared up with a scowl. “I’ll ask Hodge.”

“It’s Clary’s dad.”

Alec wished he could look again at the picture but she was determined to only look at her children’s pictures.

“Who’s that?” he asked when he saw a picture of a baby him with another baby with white blond hair.

They were both toothlessly smiling with their dimples.

“It’s Jonathan,” she murmured while looking at the picture with sadness.

Her finger stroked the picture that she lengthily stared at.

Jonathan wants to know if you remember him, had asked Clary. He didn’t and shivered before deciding to nuzzle closer against his mom.

“Mom, why their dad isn’t in prison?”

“Because he’s a smart man, evil but very smart…”

“It’s the man in the picture?” he suddenly asked.

Her eyes narrowed and she pinched his nose. “You too you’re too smart and curious,” she reproached him, highly displeased.

She didn’t look mad, not really, but lost in thought.

“What’s his name?”

“It doesn’t matter, it’s better to forget him.”

But Alec wanted to know.

“Valentine,” she snarled to be left alone.

Curiously, this name rang a bell in Alec’s memory. He already had heard it but wasn’t able to remember when exactly. He frowned and glanced at Izzy who ran towards them with the phone.

“Clary wants to play with me next time!” she excitedly said before hopping around.

Maryse took back her phone and smiled. “What did Jocelyn say?”

Izzy sat on her lap. “She was nice and said that I could come whenever I wanted to play with Clary.”

 “Time to eat!” loudly said Robert in the kitchen.

Izzy looked at Alec with a small smile and leaned over to whisper a secret into his ear. “Clary said that Jonathan loves your present.”

 _Great_ , thought Alec with a tight throat. He hoped that he wouldn’t be bored and wouldn’t cry as much as before with his dinosaurs.

Tonight, he would sleep with Church, even if the grumpy cat didn’t want to. He would find a way, he had to, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jonathan isn’t a ghost. He’s just an imaginary friend, despite being Clary’s brother as well, she has a vivid imagination and she’s a very lonely and traumatized child who has witnessed his death. 
> 
> Next chapter, Alec will be older. Yet, he’ll still be a child because he’s still a child when baby Max popped out. And as I’ve said in some comments in the previous chapter, a little someone will appear and wreak havoc. Beware.
> 
> Also, I have to say that currently I’m mentally not feeling great. I hope I’ll get better once my internship will end (I’m 100% sure I will). That’s why I won’t be able to update in August, like not at all, I really won’t be able to do so, I already know it.
> 
> And as you can tell, I’m writing slowly, my story is even slower but once this damned internship ends, I’ll be free, happier and will certainly write faster, otherwise we’re slowly getting there, very slowly though…like boringly slowly but surely :)
> 
> Thanks for reading !
> 
> P.S.: I’m not an expert in archery I don’t even know the vocabulary in my own language so I’ll build my knowledge on Amazon/Youtube/Wikipedia ^^


	9. The brother nobody asked for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I'm late. I said this chapter would be ready for September but I was more comfortable to update on a Monday and it wasn't ready for the 25th so sorry again. I was also busy with university, it's my last year and real life's responsabilities hit me really hard, especially when I realized that I wouldn't have school anymore next year. I wish I was still a child honestly.  
> Also, I was highly distracted by my new responsabilities as a mommy of a cute and fluffy bunny (it's like having a child seriously)  
> I'm adulting right now and I'm so not ready.
> 
> Sorry for the mistakes as always.

Alec skeptically stared at Izzy who was supposedly dancing on stage for her spectacle. _Supposedly_ as he wouldn’t call what she and her classmates were currently doing dancing. They didn’t look like ballet dancers but more like little monkeys with tutus. This thought made him smile and he glanced up at his mom on his right. She obviously seemed to enjoy what she was seeing like always when it was related to them.

He rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh before sinking deeper into his comfortable red seat. Obviously, he was the only one who wasn’t blinded by the light, the cute dance outfits and the makeup to make them look like real ballet dancers.

All the adults around him were captivated and quite impressed to see their offspring on stage. After a last weary glance for his mom, Alec stared back at Izzy. His lips curved into a small smile and his smile widened when he noticed how aghast Mrs. Pagani looked like. She tragically raised her hand to her forehead before shaking her head in dismay and disappeared behind the heavy red curtain on the side.

This ballet recital was a disaster that Alec finally got to enjoy when the only little ballet boy suddenly fell on his behind and cried to his heart content to express his unhappiness about the whole situation. Despite this little incident that went unnoticed, Izzy was enjoying herself. She wasn’t dancing in synchronization with anyone –the others either- but she was obviously doing her very best.

She was cute but was a terrible dancer, which made her look like a cute little monkey with a tutu.

The disaster finally ended and every parent applauded. Alec let out a relieved sigh, he couldn’t wait to go outside. He rolled his eyes when his mother stood up to cheer Princess Izzy properly and with fervor. His sister bowed down with a wide smile and took her time to wave at them while taking the pose for a few pictures. Once their mom was done with her phone, she applauded with fervor.

“Alec, you too,” she said with a huge smile.

He politely did for two seconds. “It’s finally over?” he asked to be 100% sure.

She ignored him and took his hand to lead him towards the stage where they would wait for Izzy to come down. Alec frowned, there were many people and they were all very noisy. All of them couldn’t wait to pick up their child, which explained the pandemonium. He came closer to his mom with a scowl.

“Why are you so grouchy?” asked Maryse affectuously while pinching his cheeks to make him pout like a fish. Her hands then slid to his hair, trying to fix the messy black nest he had on top of his head. “What did you do with your hair?”

Not pleased with the way she was fiddling his hair, he got away from her hands and ruffled his hair. His mom frowned and grabbed his hand back.

Izzy skipped happily towards them, still wearing her dance outfit with her coat, and she graciously accepted her mom’s kisses and praises. Alec stared at them being affectionate with each other and sighed at this sight. While she was in their mom’s arms for a great cuddle, Alec saw her eyes looking around. Their eyes met. Yes, their dad wasn’t here.

The contrary would have been surprising.

Alec, nor Izzy, were expecting him to be as involved as their mother currently was with them. It was as if he was not here, it had worsened as the days went by. He was too busy to be as caring as he had been before.

Before he began to look for the missing child of his dead former best friend.

His job and this child had stolen their dad from them.

Alec and Izzy were used to it now, unlike Maryse who had called him just before the beginning of Izzy’s ballet recital in a last attempt to make him come. Alec still wondered why she was so perseverant. He had already given up and no longer relied on him.

Nor he, nor Izzy were important in his eyes currently. If it had hurt a lot at first, they got used to the pain and to his absence. After all, their mom was still here, doing the best she could to make them happy.

Izzy squeezed her harder in her arms and asked to be carried, like the princess she was.

“I’m tired,” she sighed.

“You’re wearing a lot of makeup,” disapproved their mom with a frown before trying to remove some with a tissue that she licked.

Izzy noisily whined and tried in vain to escape from her grip and saliva.

 _Ew_ , Alec thought before looking around, relieved to see all those people leaving. Now, Izzy looked again like her 6 years old self.

“Big baby,” he whispered when their mother took her in her arms.

Izzy stuck her tongue out and ignored him before nuzzling her face into her neck with a satisfied smile. Maryse sighed and walked towards the exit with long strides. She was probably relieved that she hadn’t made a fuss over their dad’s absence.

Alec could tell she resented him, otherwise why would they eat outside tonight? It was so rare because Izzy and he could be really annoying and this short family trip could quickly become a hassle for their mom. Alec didn’t eat, in a silent protestation when he wasn’t happy about something, and Izzy deserved an Oscar for her performance whenever she didn’t get to eat in the restaurant of her choice or didn’t get the food she wanted.

Strangely, everything went well when they were alone with their mom. No drama, no fuss, nothing. Alec and Izzy perfectly knew that once their mom was with them –and by herself, without their dad- she was weak and less strict.

“What do you want to eat?” she asked with a silent wince before she dropped Izzy who was too heavy for her.

“Fries,” she yelled and ran to the car, which made her tutu bounce, as well as her not so tight bun.

Alec seriously doubted that their mom would agree so he didn’t expect much if not a healthy meal as always. He also thought that they would go back home right away but they didn’t and went straight to McDonald’s.

Anything could happen obviously, even Izzy couldn’t believe her eyes. It was the best day of her life.

“We’re going to eat fries and burgers,” she whispered excitedly to Alec, in case he hadn’t noticed.

“I know, shhh maybe it’s a mistake,” he whispered back.

Then, they intently stared at their mother, hoping that they wouldn’t turn back anytime soon due to a simple mistake.

“Mom too wants to eat fries,’’ Izzy stated in a whisper and with satisfaction. “Mom, maybe dad wants to eat some too?” she loudly asked, worried for him.

Alec nervously looked up, _dad_ was a sensitive topic right now and a taboo word. Their mother didn’t turn back and calmly parked the car between two black cars.

“Dad can cook for himself,” she simply and dryly answered.

He’d surely eat an omelet, the only thing he could really do besides making pasta. Izzy didn’t care anymore and hastened to step out of the car, hopping around like a bunny. A weird bunny that people were looking at with a fond smile on their face.

“Izzy,” sighed Maryse. “Be good.”

She was already inside the fast food restaurant.

“Alec, run after her.”

Alec, resigned, didn’t but walked after her and grabbed her hand with authority. There was a lot of people and a lot of children inside. Izzy excitedly looked around, ready to run, while Alec was squeezing her hand tighter to make sure she wouldn’t escape from his grip.

He had to admit that the toys he could see in the small window display near the tills were interesting and allowed his sister to move closer.

“You’re hurting me,’’ she whined before sticking her nails into his hand.

Alec opened the mouth, ready to squeal, but their mom prevented another drama by separating them. She gently stroked the painful area on his hand before asking what they wanted to eat. He glared at Izzy when she cheerfully stated what she wanted. She was acting cute and smooth.

It was slightly sickening.

And his hand hurt a lot, he glanced at his red skin under the fingers of his mom and glared once again at his annoying and noisy sister. He hadn’t squeezed her hand that hard, just enough to make sure she would stay by his side. Izzy met his eye and stuck her tongue out, which made her really ugly.

“You’re ugly,” he stated with a frown and noticed with satisfaction how shaken she was.

Her face twitched, her eyes widened, her mouth opened in a distorted wince, and her whole face twisted in a crying mess.

Now, she was really at the peak of ugliness.

Maryse heaved a sigh and immediately stared at Alec when Izzy clang to her to be comforted. “What did you do?”

“I said the truth.”

Izzy cried harder, drawing the attention of the employees and the hungry fellows who were eating.

“I’m not ugly,” she whined. “ _You_ are ugly,” she loudly said with a glare and clenched jaws.

“Why did you say that she was ugly?” lowly asked their mom with weariness. “Stop crying or we’ll eat somewhere else,” she added with a frown

Izzy then cried quietly against her belly.

“Because she was ugly,” Alec protested without feeling the need to tell her about how painful his hand was and Izzy sticking her tongue at him.

“She’s not ugly and you can’t say that, apologize.”

He scowled. He didn’t want to apologize first, she had to do it first because she had started the whole thing. His mouth remained hermetically closed and he defiantly looked up at his mom with a grumpy face.

“Alec.”

Izzy was no longer crying and was looking at him with content and an evil grin appeared on her face. Then, when their mom glanced at her face, she immediately switched her expression to a sad and wimpy one. Alec blinked and opened his mouth in an astonished expression before the amazing acting skills of his sister.

“Mom,” he said.

“Alec, apologize, this is not something you can say, not to your sister, not to anyone,” she firmly said before cuddling Izzy, the poor little victim.

“No,” he grumbled.

Maryse unusually lost her temper and didn’t give him another chance. “You won’t have any dessert in this case.”

Izzy’s eyes shone, she had already ordered a dessert for each of them, which meant that his ice cream would rightfully become hers. Alec didn’t say anything when his mom released his hand, as if by not apologizing he no longer had the right to have his hand in hers, but the way he stared at his little sister showed all the resentment he could feel towards someone.

And when he resented someone –added up to his usual stubbornness- it could last a very long time. He was ready not to talk to any of them for a long time and until Izzy apologized for his hand and her fakeness.

How could their mother be so blind? Izzy was a little devil disguised as an angel. She wasn’t really evil but could be really mean and naughty when it didn’t go the way she wanted. And Alec, righteous, obedient and serious as he was, could be a threat and a big obstacle to her and her mischiefs.

It didn’t matter, he didn’t particularly want to eat an ice cream anyway, but it didn’t prevent him to look at the yummy thing on the tray longingly.

It was weird to see his mom, so elegant, so into healthy food, taking eagerly a big bite at her cheeseburger. Alec didn’t know she was this hungry, but whenever it didn’t go well with their dad, she ate much more than usual and wasn’t so into healthy food anymore.

Izzy was covered with paper napkins to protect her pure white tutu. Even though she was supposed to look like a little swan, she rather looked like a piglet that had not eaten for a very long time. The lower part of her face was smeared with ketchup, not for a long time though, as Maryse made sure that Izzy looked like a little girl.

“You’re not a pig,” she sighed.

Alec silently ate his fries and drank his soda while wondering if Cecilia, Will’s little sister, could be as evil as Izzy. He didn’t follow her when she went outside to play in the amazing playground with all these squealing children, she hadn’t asked him to and had ignored him. However, she had taken the time to eat right in front of him the ice cream that was previously his. Slowly and gluttonously.

Never Alec had disliked her this much but it would never be comparable to the hatred he had felt towards her when she had destroyed his amazing dragon.

“Mom, why Izzy is so sneaky?” he asked.

Maryse, who was on her phone, looked up with a frown. “Sneaky?  Where did you learn this word?”

Alec shrugged, waiting for his answer.

“Does Hodge keep an eye on your readings?” she asked with narrowed eyes, not sure to be proud or suspicious of his vocabulary.

No, he didn’t of course but it wasn’t the point.

“Izzy is not sneaky, she is…more mischievous I would say,” she admitted. “It runs in the family,” she lowly added before taking a sip at her coffee and glancing at the playground to see how Izzy was doing.

Alec didn’t ask if she alluded to his dad and stared at the remaining of his meal on his tray. He hoped he wasn’t starving, alone at home, and that for once the omelet that he would cook for himself would be tasty.

“Alec finish your fries, I’ll check what Izzy is doing.”

He stayed alone for a while, blankly staring at his tray with a scowl. He didn’t want to eat, for his hand and the ice cream he hadn’t been able to eat. His mom came back with Izzy who had already torn and stained her tutu.

“Stay here,” firmly demanded Maryse with a stern face to a reluctant Izzy who grumpily sat next to Alec.

Alec inwardly sighed and perfectly knew what was awaiting them: Izzy’s show about how unhappy her great self was, which made their mom –who was already not in a great mood- even more upset.

“Isabelle, I already told you, you won’t do boxing, you already have your ballet classes!”

Alec didn’t expect her to glare at him, as if he was the reason of her unhappiness, and felt guilty for no reason.

“Then, why can he do archery and judo?” she noisily complained before this great injustice that made her jealous.

He also wanted to know why his parents didn’t want to let her have her boxing lessons when he could do archery and judo as extracurricular activities. She wanted to do this so badly that she was worse than he had been with his archery lessons, but unlike him she also wanted to dance.

If Alec could give up judo, he would right away. He hated it and was only motivated by archery. He didn’t really understand his mom’s reaction, as having a little sister who could kick some ass could be pretty awesome.

His parents didn’t have the same point of view. They didn’t want their little princess to get hurt or disfigured by this kind of sport, that was all.

Alec seriously thought that Izzy would be much more gracious in a fight than in a dance class with a tutu. 

Izzy insisted, Maryse refused and Alec took a sip of her orange juice, his eyes upon them. She would get what she wanted, it was just a matter of time. And from that moment, Alec genuinely hoped that she wouldn’t hit him for practicing. He also hoped that his judo lessons wouldn’t last, which sadly for him would for quite some time, given his father’s reaction.

“It’s archery and judo, did you forget? There is no way for you to give up,” had reminded him his dad when he had dared to say that he didn’t like this sport this much.

Archery and judo.

Alec couldn’t wait for the day when he could only do archery.

 

If later Alec didn’t reconcile with Izzy right away, their parents did. More or less. He almost stumbled on Church who grumpily stared at him when he went into the kitchen to drink a glass of water and had found his parents on the couch, watching Izzy’s pictures and videos immortalized on their mom’s phone. He could hear their chuckles and smiles, and almost felt their affection towards each other.

Feeling uneasy, he quickly went back into his room without drinking the glass of water that he had initially wanted to drink.

He didn’t understand. How could his parents be so mad at each other and pretend that nothing had happened between them? He didn’t get it.

Izzy and he weren’t this forgetful and still resented their dad for his constant absence and for making their mom cry that often.

Church silently meowed and watched him close his door with glowing eyes. He also had witnessed everything.

*

Alec was quietly reading a book that Jem had lent him, on the couch, with a slight frown that showed how focus he was in his reading. Then, the book was no longer in his hands and under his nose. He angrily looked up and hastened to take back the book in his sister’s hands.

She lengthily stared at him, remorsefully. She had clearly underestimated his stubbornness. Alec was still mad for the ice cream, even if she had finally apologized for being sneaky several days ago.

“You hurt my hand,” she said again with a pout.

Alec ignored her. He hadn’t squeezed her hand that hard, she just had not wanted him to hold her hand in order to wander around. To make him forgive her, she was ready to do anything and treated him like a king by bringing him snacks that slowly piled up on the coffee table.

But Alec was very good at sulking and at ignoring people.

“I can find your bow,” she suggested.

Only his eyes moved. He didn’t have the right to do archery without the presence of his parents, now that he had a real bow and real arrows, and strictly met this restraint.

There were a lot of constraints in order to pursue his dreams of archery. The life of a young archer was far from being easy. And his life as a big brother neither. Izzy wanted to play outside. Not in their garden but in the park, a few blocks away from their house, but Alec didn’t want to go outside, nor did he want to look after her as he usually did, following their mother’s instructions. They could go out and play outside the house but never without each other.

Mainly because Alec had to look after Izzy during the absence of their parents and because wherever he went Izzy would tag along. They only could go to the park. Home, park, park, home and that was all. Alec hoped he would be able to go by himself to his archery club, Hodge’s shop and house, his school and of course to Magnus’ house soon enough.

He couldn’t wait to be old enough to walk on his own and without having to babysit Izzy.

He scowled when he was unable to focus back on his book. She had interrupted his reading, cutting him off from the plot. He winced. He didn’t really want to play outside.

“Play in the garden.”

Izzy intently and stubbornly stared at him. “Let’s go to the swing,” she firmly insisted with a slight frown.

She was already running towards the entrance, which made Alec panic. They had to tell someone that they were heading to the park, like calling their mom or leaving a note before going out. Yet, he didn’t do any of that as he thought their parents would come back way after them.

He didn’t have a clear conscience though and lengthily hesitated in front of the door while Izzy was putting on her shoes.

“Not for long, okay?”

Izzy nodded and he slowly breathed out. What would it have cost him to call his mom to tell her? It was too late anyway, they were already in the street. With a frown, he grabbed his sister’s hand and was careful to not squeeze it too tightly.

Izzy brightly smiled. She had had what she had wanted and couldn’t help showing a triumphant smile.

The house keys tinkled in his hand that he tightly squeezed nervously, not sure to have done the right thing. He should have left a note, really, but he would make sure to go back before their return.

Both him and Izzy were wearing the same navy blue cap and some of the passersby looked at them with a little smile. Alec glanced at his sister and at her black eye.

“Does it still hurt? ”

She shook her head and touched the swollen and purplish skin under her right eye. “No.’’

She was in a good mood, Alec was no longer ignoring her, was holding her hand and was worried about her. Her grin widened and this time she tightly, very tightly squeezed his hand, which made him wince. She had had her first boxing lesson a few days ago and it hadn’t ended well, given the state of her eye.

Their mom no longer wanted to hear a single word about boxing, Izzy neither. This sport was not as amazing as she had imagined and this accident had cooled down her enthusiasm. Alec snorted. She would find another obsession to annoy them all with soon enough.

They ran across the streets to arrive at the park as quickly as possible and finally reached the promise land. Izzy ran faster in order to find a free swing, pulling harshly Alec who was staring at a fluffy dog.

The park was huge and had several playground, they had to cross the whole area to find something available where they could play.

“We should have brought a Frisbee,” Alec sighed while glancing at the green grass in front of him where a group of teenagers was playing with an orange one.

He lengthily stared at it until he had to focus back on Izzy who had spotted a swing where there were only three kids waiting for their turn. This place was quite popular. He saw again the fluffy white dog that he had seen earlier and looked around, while Izzy was pulling him.

“You’re like a dog,” she said.

Alec frowned, if he was a dog then she was a cat. And cats could be really annoying. Church was a perfect example. Izzy was patiently waiting for her turn while he was checking around, as if he expected their mom to suddenly show up. He really didn’t have a clear conscience and couldn’t relax and enjoy his time outside, under the sun, surrounding by noisy people, waiting for an available swing when he could have comfortably read his book on the couch.

He glanced at his sister who was talking to the little girl in front of her, in the line. They already seemed to be best friends.

After making sure that no one would double-cross her because of her smallness and age, Alec watched her finally take place in a swing. Izzy brightly grinned and looked at the charitable dad who was pushing all the kids.

He sat on the grass, waiting for her to finish in order to go home. He almost got stepped on by a fleshy and noisy –and very tall- teenager who didn’t even apologize. Alec glared at him, he was small which was normal for an eight-year-old kid but still, he wasn’t invisible. He wondered how Clary would have managed on her own when he saw a red haired little girl crying in her grandmother’s arms, before remembering that she wasn’t allowed to go out as much as them.

Izzy and her were still besties and talked to each other when their moms were getting in touch over the phone.

Jonathan couldn’t wait to play with him, had said Clary recently. _Well, he should wait a little more,_ he had nervously retorted before hastening to give the phone back to Izzy. Alec didn’t like Clary’s imagination. It made him shiver and overthink.

If he liked Clary because she was cute like a small animal and nice, he didn’t like her mom. There was something about her that made him uncomfortable and unable to trust her, like her stuffy behavior towards Clary. He wasn’t impatient to see her when they would come over in a few days for dinner.

While Izzy was still having fun, he stood up and walked to the nearest drinking fountain to quench his thirst. He read several time the note saying that the water was drinkable and drank with the tip of his tongue, before removing his hand from the faucet thinking about germs and all the scary things his mom had said.

When he looked back to see how Izzy was doing, he winced. She was crying in their mom’s arms and the park was slightly deserted with the occurrence of the sunset. His mother looked up to stare at him, looking clearly unhappy and disappointed.

Alec didn’t want to be scolded so he didn’t come to them right away.

“Why is she crying?” he nervously asked when Izzy glanced at him with a face full of tears and snot.

It wasn’t his fault, which was a considerable relief, given how angry their mom looked like. A little boy had called Izzy ugly, hence why she was crying her eyes out.

“He’s in your class?” angrily asked Maryse.

Izzy could only nod before asking for a hug and compliments for her broken ego. Alec looked around, hoping to see the nasty little boy. He hadn’t lied though, Izzy wasn’t pretty with her black eye, but she was most of the time and Alec was the only one who could say this word to her when she was really mean. He never really use this word to rate her beauty but rather her actions.

“He said Izzy rhymes with ugly,” she painfully and noisily sobbed.

“Izzy also rhymes with pretty,” Alec nonchalantly murmured.

His mom proudly stared at him, as if he had done a great job as a big brother. It was a full time job, and he did a wonderful job every time of course, in his humble opinion. Izzy cried harder, thinking that he was mocking her as himself had used this word a few days ago.

“I’m not ugly!” she wailed.

“Sometimes you are,” he felt the need to say, which earned him a glare from his mom.

“Alec!”

And then she softly talked to her to calm her down with a stupid explanation. If Connor was mean it was because he liked her and hadn’t found a better way to show her how much he was into her. Izzy sniffled, used her cap to wipe her face and blinked.

“I don’t want him to like me,” she protested, highly displeased. “He can’t!”

She had calmed down, mostly thanks to the violet ice cream, which was not really tasty but only pretty with its lilac color. Alec gave his to his mom who gulped it down in one bite. He could finally relax, he no longer have to be Izzy’s babysitter.

“Alec, I did ask you to call me when you and Izzy go to the park,” she reminded firmly.

He didn’t dare to look up and gulped. “I forgot.”

Her hand squeezed his tighter while Izzy was licking her hand. He doubted that he would be allowed to do archery once at home and pursed his lips. He was too tired anyways but seeing his bow always made him feel better.

*

Church angrily meowed while glaring at them. Alec avoided to look at him on purpose to not be softened by his sadness. Church meowed again and Izzy bent down to pet his fluffy fur.

The Persian cat was wearing the cone of shame and wasn’t used to it yet. He couldn’t groom himself as good as before and looked ridiculous. No one knew how he had hurt himself on the belly, but the wound had been bad enough for him to be taken to the vet. He got three stiches and this cone of shame to prevent him from touching them.

Alec had searched throughout the whole garden to find the thing that had hurt him and had tried to spot blood in the grass or the fence but nothing. Maybe Church had just had a fight with another cat from the neighborhood.

The grumpy cat meowed and was unusually cuddly with Izzy, hoping that she will take his cone off but she didn’t really care, pet him, kissed him between his ears and walked away to watch a cartoon.

Then, Church stared at Alec and meowed.

“No.”

His amber eyes narrowed in a highly displeased way and Alec hastened to go in the kitchen to see what his mom was doing, but mostly to avoid his clinginess. He hardly stepped into the kitchen that his mother was already handing him a bowl that he had to put away.

“Mom, can I have my bow?” he politely asked, eyes full of hope.

She didn’t look at him. “Once I’ll be done,” she absently murmured with a frown and a glance for her cookbook.

He sighed. She was cooking a lot of food for the dinner they had planned with Jocelyn and Clary.

“You’re already cooking everything?”

This time she looked at him, as if he was annoying her. She was always upset and he didn’t know why.

“Why are you angry?” he asked.

“I’m not angry,” she dryly retorted.

Alec guessed she had an umpteenth argument with his dad and decided to leave her alone in order not to bear the consequences of her bad mood. He sat down next to Izzy, on the soft grey carpet, and when she stood up to also go in the kitchen, he quickly grabbed her wrist and intently stared at her to make her understand that they had to leave their mom alone until she calmed down.

Izzy sat down and leaned in to whisper a secret in his ear. “Dad made mom cry last night.”

Alec frowned, he hadn’t heard anything. “Why?” he whispered.

Izzy shrugged, she didn’t know. “He’s mean.”

“Who’s mean?” loudly asked their father behind them, making them jump with fright.

Alec lengthily stared at him as if it was the first time he was seeing him. He was casually dressed and had a huge bouquet of pretty flowers in his right hand.

Altogether, Maryse had received nine bouquets of colorful flowers mainly composed of yellow roses this month. It made a lot of dry flowers in the garden but none of them were representative of the numerous fights between their parents.

And as always, their mom would accept them.

Alec inwardly sighed, she was blind, could she not see that the flowers were useless?  They didn’t fix anything, they just delayed their next fight over nothing.

“I hate flowers,” Izzy grumpily said when she saw their dad giving them to their mom.

Alec didn’t like them either, they stank and were stinging his eyes.

*

Given that Alec was almost nine years old, he was considered old enough to look after Izzy. He understood better Hodge’s pain and the previous babysitters’ one that the both of them had had in the past.

Izzy could be a pain in the ass.

Especially once, she was with Clary. Together they made a hellish duo. Hence why Alec didn’t want to babysit them for their parents. While they would have fun, he would be bored. His parents would have Jocelyn, Luke and Hodge to talk with during this dinner, Izzy would have Clary –and Jonathan- whereas he would have no one to play with.

Alec already felt lonely and it was quite unfair, which made him as grumpy as Church.

He silently watched his mother make his bed, behind the door half opened, with narrowed eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she sighed without even turning her head, showing how developed her senses were.

He came in while looking at his feet. “I’ll be bored,” he complained with a frown.

Maryse straightened up and turned around. “You have your books and your bow.”

“No, Sunday.”

 _And I can’t do archery when I want,_ he wanted to add but complaining an umpteenth about this would upset her. Alec wanted to be a full-time archer but couldn’t, instead of this he was the full-time babysitter.

It happened that he took care of Izzy more often that their own parents, which explained why Izzy tested him and could be so nasty but also could rely on him so much, like reading her stories or comforting her after a terrifying nightmare.

Alec already gave her a time out when he was unable to handle her. Izzy had been so surprised, so surprised that he had strangely obeyed. Mostly because he had said that he wouldn’t read her a story that night.

“So, maybe I can invite Magnus?” he shyly suggested. “I won’t be bored like this.”

If the adults didn’t feel the need to reject him when he wanted to join in because he was too young to hear some topics, he would have stayed with them, especially with Hodge. But if Izzy had Clary, he could have Magnus.

Maryse narrowed her eyes and he bit his lips, she clearly looked unhappy about his. She still hadn’t forgotten what had happened the last time his best friend had come. Alec had almost killed Magnus with an arrow, which was the reason he no longer could do archery without any supervision.

Magnus, each time he came over, asked Alec to show him his bow and arrows with a demonstration. And of course Alec did, even if he missed the target or miserably failed to impress him. Except that this time, Magnus had had a great idea: to put an apple on top of his head, as an exercise to make him better at aiming accurately.

Izzy had followed them in the garden, with Church, to see the show and Alec had aimed at the apple above Magnus’ smiling face. He wasn’t precise or accurate but had thought that if Magnus thought he was able to do this and trusted him this much, he could do it.

He hadn’t thought much actually. He had just aimed, thinking that he was doing a great job and that he wouldn’t miss the apple before shooting his arrow.

The arrow had cut Magnus’ right cheekbone and his ear. His blood had run down his cheek and neck. Magnus no longer had his smiling face when he had noticed the untouched apple on the ground and the tickling pain he had begun to feel.

“You’re bleeding,’’ had murmured Izzy, slightly frightened. “Mom will scold you,” she had added with a frown for Alec who had remained quiet the whole time, his eyes following the blood running down the caramel skin of his best friend.

It was only there, that he had realized how dangerous it was to be bad at archery. It wasn’t a toy. He could have hurt Magnus really badly and this thought still haunted him.

Magnus had wiped the blood with his hand and had slightly smiled to show him that he was fine. The three of them had jumped with fright when they had heard Maryse’s screech. Alec had had the marks of her fingers around his wrist for several days. She had immediately made him drop his bow and quiver before making sure that Magnus was not hurt.

She had yelled at them, especially at Alec for being so careless. She had said harsh words about him almost killing Magnus and things related to his lack of competence in archery. The fact that he had almost been a murder had hit him hard. Alec had cried his eyes out, which had made Izzy cry as well and Magnus had been so shook to see him cry this much that he had also begun to sob.

The three of them had been given a time out against the wall of the patio. His mom had scolded him for a very long time and Church had even snarled at her when she had come too close while Magnus had been sheepishly looking at Alec the whole time with a bandage on his cheek and on his ear, hoping to meet his eyes to apologize properly.

“We’re always punished when you come here,” Izzy had grumpily said with a glare for him.

Magnus had apologized with a tight hug while Izzy was staring at Alec’s tears, not sure if she had to continue to cry as well. Alec had stopped crying in Magnus’ arms and they had stayed outside for the rest of the day.

Magnus was no longer thinking about the accident, while Alec still did as soon as he was holding his bow with an arrow or seeing an apple. His mom had been nice enough to not seize it and hadn’t even talked about this disastrous accident to Ed-Ed who still ignored how careless, dangerous and so not archery like Alec had been. Grateful, Alec had promised not to do it again, besides improving his archery skills.

Alec still waited for her answer with apprehension. He really wanted to play with Magnus and it had been a long time since they had seen each other. Magnus was quite busy with all his parents’ travels.

Jem was in Beijing to see his parents while Will was in London with his family to see his relatives. Alec hoped with worry that Magnus was still here.

His mom finally allowed him to call him. “You won’t touch your bow, you know that?” she reminded him before he could walk away.

He nodded and run to the living room where her bag was and in which her phone was. He comfortably settled on the couch, looking up for the Bane’s number in her telephone book.

“Hello?”

This voice sounded a lot like Magnus’ one.

“Magnus?”

“No.”

Alec frowned. “It’s you.”

Magnus snorted. “No.”

“You’re not funny.”

“I’m funnier than you at least.”

Alec huffed before telling him that he could come over this Sunday to play with him if he wanted.

“I’ll ask my mom,” hastened to say Magnus before shouting: “Mom can I go to Alec’s Sunday?”

Alec heard Mrs. Bane voice without understanding what she was saying.

“Only for the afternoon,” Magnus loudly said.

Alec enthusiastically nodded. “Okay, I’ll see you on Sunday.”

And he quickly hung up before realizing that he hadn’t told him about Clary and her brother. Maybe he should have, as everyone beside him would know for Jonathan.

*

His parents put their mask on and brightly smiled at Hodge, Luke, Jocelyn and Clary after an umpteenth argument about something stupid, as always. As soon as they were busy to greet each other, Alec ran upstairs with the key of his father’s study. Izzy had promised to distract them if needed, but still, his heart was madly pounding and his hands slightly shaking. It was the only time he could check, as until now he had been too busy, his father always in his study and his mom always watching him.

It was risky but he had to check if there was something interesting about the missing kid. Alec hadn’t forgotten him. He was haunting his father’s thoughts every day.  

He should have known there was nothing, he didn’t find anything related to him but he found something else. Divorce papers on the desk. Empty and ready to be filled out.

Alec’s heart sank in is chest, he lengthily stared at them and took them before crumpling them in a tight ball that he squeezed in his hand. His heart missed a beat when he heard his mom calling him. He lent an ear with fear and once he made sure that no one was going upstairs, he quickly and silently walked down the stairs before bumping into Hodge and Magnus.

He winced.

“Here you are,” Hodge simply said before greeting him with a pat on his head.

Magnus smiled. He no longer had the wound on his cheekbone but still had a scar on his ear. This wound would never heal. Izzy and Clary squealed somewhere in the house and Jocelyn loudly said something, which distracted Magnus’ attention from Alec.

So, Alec did as he would have done with Izzy and grabbed his hand to take him in his room. He always did that, automatically and with anyone. It had highly surprised Jem in the beginning as he had almost never held the hand of anyone before but had been too embarrassed to say something whereas Will had said that he wasn’t a child and didn’t need his hand.

Magnus was the only one who was genuinely happy to hold his hand. Even if they were beginning to be too old for that.

“You know tomorrow I’m going to Italy,” Magnus casually said.

Alec frowned. “Why?”

“My mom wants new shoes.”

It confused Alec even more and he suddenly remembered the divorce papers crumpled in his right fist.

“And after, we’ll go to France for a long time so we won’t play all summer long,” he mumbled, disappointed, before squeezing his hand tighter.

Alec inwardly sighed, already thinking about what he would do without him, without his archery lessons, as Ed-Ed needed vacation too, without anything to do if not babysitting Izzy. He was already depressed about being bored, worried about his parents and the new school year. He hoped to be in Magnus’ class this time and that his parents despite their arguments wouldn’t get divorced.

He opened the door of his bedroom, released Magnus’ hand and hid the papers under his bed while Church, who was taking a nap on his pillow, stared at him with narrowed eyes. He was now awake and upset.

Magnus didn’t ask him what he had thrown under his bed and hurried to pet Church before he leaved.

“Why he has that thing around his neck?”

“Because he got hurt on the belly and it wouldn’t heal otherwise.”

And Alec explained how it supposedly happened as no one really knew.

“And don’t remove it, even if he begs you,” he added when he saw that they were staring at each other for a long time.

Magnus immediately and reluctantly stop petting him before sitting next to him on the floor to play a game. They were quietly reading a world map, trying to spot the countries that Magnus would soon visit, when Clary’s screech made them look up.

Izzy and she were probably playing in the garden, where Jocelyn could look after them with her overprotective eyes.

“It’s Izzy?” asked Magnus.

“No, Clary.”

Obviously, he didn’t know who she was. “I only saw Hodge,” he explained before comfortably resting his chin on his shoulder.

When he blinked, his eyelashes tickled Alec’s cheek and his breath, his neck.

“Her mom is weird,” he warned him, without knowing if he had to also tell him about Jonathan. “Clary too is,” he mumbled before spotting Italy on the map. “It’s far.”

Magnus shrugged. “Indonesia is even further.”

As they were lying on their stomach and Magnus was half on him, Alec’s sides began to hurt as much as his elbows but he didn’t say anything. Magnus’ warmth was pleasant. He intended to ask him if one day he would go back to Indonesia when his mom opened the door and frowned when she saw Magnus and their position.

“Since when are you here?” she asked, surprised.

Magnus smiled. “Surprise.”

She finally smiled but lengthily stared at him. She had seen him kiss Alec on the cheek the other day when he had hugged him to apologize for his terrible idea. Having so much skin ship or display of affection between them, seemed to displease her. Therefore, she was keeping an eye on them.

“Alec, introduce Magnus to Clary and play together. They’re in the garden.”

Alec looked up and Magnus stood up, ready to go. He wanted to stay in his room but her tone didn’t let him have the choice.

They all were in the garden, comfortably sitting down at the table with drinks while Izzy and Clary were playing at Red Light, Green Light. Izzy was the Curator and Clary the Statue.

“1,2,3! Red light! Green light!”

“This is Magnus,” introduced him Maryse to Luke and Jocelyn.

Luke smiled while Jocelyn finally looked at them, mostly at Magnus, for a very long time, which made him uncomfortable. She seemed taken aback.

“You’re beautiful,” she marveled.

Magnus politely and quickly smiled before glancing at Alec.

“You’re making him uncomfortable,” sighed Luke. “Alec, you don’t say hi?”

“Hi.”

It made them laugh.

Alec did everything he could to not look at his father who was staring at him, so he grabbed Magnus’ hand and took him to where Izzy and Clary were playing, under the gaze of Jocelyn who kept staring at Magnus in a disturbing way. When, he looked back, Hodge waved at him with a smile that made him smile back.

“What’s wrong with her neck?” whispered Magnus.

“It hides her scar.”

When Clary saw them coming closer, she quickly stopped playing and stared at them with her big eyes. Since she had met him and Izzy, she had become more lively, was going to school, had stopped talking as if she was always asking questions, but was still a tiny little girl who had grew up with a lack of sunlight and who was still imagining her dead brother.

Alec wondered if she had real friends besides them.

“It’s Magnus, my best friend,” he said.

Izzy came closer with a frown, not happy they had interrupted their game.

“I’m Clary and this is Jonathan,” Clary introduced herself with a shy glance towards Magnus who looked around to see where Jonathan was.

“In her head,” Alec leaned in and whispered: “Say hi.”

Magnus narrowed his eyes and looked at him as if he had lost his head. “In her head?” he loudly asked.

Alec and Izzy stared at each other, not knowing how they could tell him in front of Clary that Jonathan was only alive in her imagination and that he had to play along. Their silence was eloquent enough for him to understand.

“Hi,” he reluctantly said with a glare for Alec.

Clary brightly smiled but still hid behind Izzy just in case. And Magnus discovered what it was like to play with someone invisible, waiting each time for Clary to speak up for Jonathan or to describe what he was doing.

Moreover, Jonathan who liked Alec a lot, seemed to like Magnus as much.

“Is he a ghost?” he asked.

Clary looked up and blankly stared at him, unable to answer. “Maybe.”

Alec plucked some grass. “Do you have friends at school?”

Clary’s eyes shone brighter. “Yes, I have Simon!”

There was also a girl name Maia but it was almost always Simon, Simon, Simon, Simon. The funny Simon who wanted to play with her and Jonathan.

“Is he real?” he asked.

Izzy and Magnus glanced at him as if what he had just said wasn’t nice.

Clary nervously squeezed her hands and hesitantly looked at him. She seemed confused. Then, she glanced at Luke and ran to him. She tripped and fell on her stomach before straightening up.

“He made me trip,” she only said before running again.

Jocelyn was staring at them, ready to pounce on them anytime, even though Hodge and Luke were keeping an eye on her. Alec took the opportunity to tell Magnus about Clary and her brother. Magnus’ eyes widened when he heard about the sad and awful story of Jonathan and Izzy nodded while taking Church in her arms.

“But he’s a ghost or not?”

“No.”

“It’s in her head,” Izzy said before letting Magnus pet Church.

“She knows that it’s in her head?”

“It’s a game, it helps her to cope with her loss,” Alec murmured. He had heard his mom say this.

“Ok.”

Now that he understood better, Magnus didn’t seem to mind. Clary came back, still running, under Luke’s skeptical eye.

“He’s real! Simon is real,” she panted.

Alec opened the mouth to ask her why she hadn’t been able to answer by herself and had felt the need to go check that fact out with Luke but Magnus put his hand on his mouth to prevent him from talking.

All the adults were now staring at Clary. Jocelyn with an overprotective gaze for her daughter and the others because she had talked again about her brother.

They didn’t like Jonathan’s presence but never dared to say anything, as the  last time Luke and Maryse had dared to do so, Jocelyn had ignored them for several weeks. So, they had no better choice to allow this if they wanted to keep Jocelyn’s friendship.

Alec already had prepared what he would say to Luke and his mom about this matter, as they always asked him to tell them about the presence of Jonathan in their games. Hodge didn’t really care and said that it wasn’t Clary who had a problem but Jocelyn who, by allowing this to happen, had encouraged Clary to imagine her dead brother. And as he had also said to Luke –when Alec was spying on them- : _when she’ll open her eyes and stop running away, it’ll be too late._

So damn late.

Alec knew that it was a bad thing, given that his mom kept telling him to make sure that Izzy and Clary were too busy to include Jonathan in their games. She clearly underestimated Jonathan importance, if Izzy wanted to play with Clary, she had to accept Jonathan. There was nothing she could do, Alec neither.

Clary’s imagination was stronger than them.

Just before dinner, they played Frisbee and Izzy sent the flying object  into the tree, a very old oak, at the back of the garden.

“Jonathan will pick it up,” hastened to say Clary when Magnus began to climb.

He silently put back his feet on the ground, glanced at Alec and winced. And they waited before the tree while staring at the green disc. Izzy heaved a sigh and bumped her shoulder into Alec’s one. He shrugged, he didn’t know what to do if not waiting for it to fall on its own.

Magnus also began to get impatient.

“Maybe he needs help,” he suggested with narrowed eyes.

Clary suddenly smiled as if Jonathan had done something amazing in the tree and talked to him, ignoring them. She was in her own little world.

“He needs help,” Alec murmured while looking up.

Magnus took a deep breath and climbed in the tree with agility, like a little monkey. A disappointed pout appeared on Clary’s face.

“Next time, he can do it,” Alec said. “Ok Jonathan?”

Clary looked at the tree and reluctantly glanced at him. “He said yes.”

Magnus dropped the Frisbee and after making sure that beside them, no one else was staring at him, jumped.

“Tada!”

Alec smiled and stepped backwards, ready to play but Clary was still looking at the tree with worry.

“What’s wrong?” asked Izzy.

“He’s stuck.”

Magnus sighed but was ready to climb back while Izzy and Alec sat on the grass. Jonathan was quite troublesome.

 

Magnus had already left, had hugged Alec, had pet Church, had been hugged by Clary and Jonathan and Izzy had stared at him. Alec would now see him at school in a few months. He heaved a sigh and lay down in his bed. The afternoon and evening had been emotionally charged.

Just after they all had left, his father had gone upstairs and had come back while Alec and Izzy were watching TV. It was useless to say how much Alec had tensed up, especially when his dad had come closer. He had assumed that he had noticed the absence of the divorce papers on his desk but no, Robert had just wanted to ruffle their hair before going in the kitchen to do the dishes.

Later that night, Alec secretly threw away what he had hidden under his bed in the bin and as often, if not always, he could hear his parents upstairs. He sighed and shook his head, peace never last anyways. He was pretty sure his father would have soon enough new divorce papers ready to be filled out.

And Alec was more than ready to threw them away, again and again.

*

“Church,” he stated with a frown when he noticed him among his clothes, inside his closet. “How did you do to go inside?”

The grumpy cat still had his cone of shame around his neck. Now, Alec understood better why he had so much cat hair on his clothes. Church didn’t want to move so Alec pulled the clothes he wanted and noted that some of his clothes were missing. They still hadn’t been washed maybe, he didn’t really care.

“Mom, Church likes to sleep in my closet,” he complained when she came into his room.

“Church, get out of here, shoo,” she said while putting on her earrings. She then grabbed Alec’s head and dropped a loud kiss on his forehead. “We’re leaving soon, look after Izzy, alright? At lunchtime, Hodge will pick you up and we’ll get you back tonight.”

Alec suspiciously stared at her. He no longer counted the number of time his parents had left by themselves from morning till night and not for work. Either they were trying to save their marriage either they were getting divorced.

He didn’t want them to divorce, it frightened him.

“You’ll divorce?” he hoarsely asked, the heart madly pounding.

Maryse’s eyes widened and she looked utterly shocked but no sound came out from her mouth.

“Alec,” she breathed out.

She lengthily stared at him. She didn’t say yes, she didn’t say no, but her eyes became watery.

“We’ll do your best,” she whispered before kissing his forehead and leaving his room to go to Izzy’s. “Izzy get up, I’m leaving.”

Alec breathed out, this answer didn’t satisfy him. He wanted to hear a yes or a no.

“Maryse!” shouted their dad outside. “We’ll be late!”

She was still murmuring sweet words to Izzy who was tightly hugging her.

“Alec is not nice when you’re not here,” she complained.

Alec came closer with a frown and stopped on the doorway. Their mom snorted.

“He’s doing his job as your big brother.”

Izzy glared at Alec. “I want another brother.”

“I want another sister then,” Alec mumbled.

Maryse rolled her eyes. “Be nice to each other.”

She kissed them one last time and left on her black high heels.

“Do you want to see what it’s like to have a mean big brother?” he asked which made Izzy blink and run away.

He smiled and ran after her.

*

Their parents wanted to talk to them and looked so serious that Izzy glanced at Alec with worry. _You said they wouldn’t get divorced_ , could be read in her eyes. Well, he had been wrong, given how serious their face were. His heart sank in his chest and Izzy sat closer, almost on his lap, despite the width of the couch.

He felt her fingers pinched his sleeve and a piece of his forearm’s skin. He winced and their dad cleared his throat while their mom came back with teacups and a teapot. The three of them frowned, they didn’t drink tea.

“Maryse,” Robert whispered.

“Church too can listen?” Izzy shyly asked.

He rolled his eyes and did a gesture with his arm, allowing her to take him to this family reunion. She quickly came back with him and crushed Alec’s hand with her behind. In her arms, Church looked like a lifeless potato.

“Don’t hold him like this.”

Izzy still held him as if he was a baby and patiently waited for them to speak up. “He’s ready.”

Robert sighed and clapped in his hands. “As you could see throughout the months, I was busy.”

Izzy and Alec nodded. “All the time.”

“I was a deadbeat dad.”

Maryse nodded and smiled at them.

“At the expense of your own family, you’d rather take care of others’ family,” she casually said.

“I apologized,” he retorted before trying to take her hand.

She avoided his gesture and with a glare, spat: “To them too.”

Their dad finally truly looked at them. “I’m sorry, I really am.”

He then stood up, came to them, leaned in and kissed them. It had been such a long time that he hadn’t been affectionate with them that it was awkward. Izzy immediately fled to sit on Maryse’s lap.

Alec only hoped to be swallowed by the couch when he felt his lips on his hair.

“Things will change,” he added when he sat down in front of Alec while Izzy clearly avoided to look in his direction. He had done a huge mistake by kissing her when she hadn’t accepted his apology. “I’m pretty sure you know what I’ll be talking about Alec.”

Alec froze. “No,” he quickly said.

“You do.”

He forgot to breathe, he was rumbled and they were getting divorced. His father looked at him straight in the eye.

“I’ve found the missing child, did you forget about him?”

“You always went in the study to found out about him, and you harassed us with your questions,” softly added his mom.

Izzy released Church, or rather Church freed himself from her grip to hide under the couch. Alec perfectly remembered as he still went inside the study. So, they had found him? It was a good thing.

“He’s okay now?” he asked, unsure about the purpose of sitting of the couch to hear this kind of news.

His parents exchanged a gaze and Izzy frowned and winced when the hands of their mom squeezed her too hard against her.

“Jace is…well, he’ll be okay, he’ll need time,” she said before looking at Izzy and Alec who had a bad feeling about it. “We have decided to adopt him, he’ll be your brother.”

It was worse than a divorce.

Izzy’s eyes widened and she turned around, shocked. “No!”

She was probably imagining having two Alec. Their parents clearly didn’t expect this reaction. Robert quickly took Izzy in his arms to calm her but she fidgeted.

Alec remained expressionless and silent. Why? He had Izzy, Izzy had him. Period. They didn’t need another sibling. He looked up when he saw his mom going to Izzy who was sobbing.

Now, she was held the same way  she held Church. She looked so big in their dad’s arms but she had calmed down and was now blinking and sniffing. Robert looked at her and loudly kissed her forehead.

“Jace doesn’t have any family left,” he explained.

 _It’s because you feel guilty_ , Alec thought with a glance.

“When will he be here?” he asked.

His mom pursed her lips. “Tomorrow, we’ll spend the day with him and take him here with us. That’s why dad and I we weren’t often here, we went to see him, we talked a lot about you and he can’t wait to meet you.”

It explained their absence. They didn’t seem to be on the brink of divorcing finally, not anymore.

“What happened to him?”

Izzy looked up with curiosity and their parents carefully choose their words.

Jace Wayland, the son of his former best-friend with whom their dad no longer had kept in touch with, had been kidnapped when he was three, shortly after the murder of his parents. The crime was still unsolved. Jace was only a few months older than Izzy and had lived four years in a closet. His kidnapper was still out there.

“Why he was living in a closet?” Izzy whispered with fright, slightly curled up.

They didn’t know.

“He was in a very bad shape, he still is but he’s getting better and better, you’ll have to show him what it’s like to grow up normally,” Maryse murmured with watery eyes that made them blink and tightened their throat.

Alec didn’t dare to imagine Jace nor the hell in which he had spent four years. Their parents were currently in a procedure against the social care, as Jace could have been saved earlier. In the neighborhood where he had been held captive, an old woman had seen a child getting into the basement in the arms of a suspicious man, but never coming out from there. She had called the welfare department but no one had come. Then, the old woman died and someone had anonymously called the police to report a weird noise coming from the basement. As if someone was banging something.

Jace had been found half-dead but still fighting for his life, locked in his closet.

Their parents refused to describe him in which state he had exactly been found but they knew all the details. Jace could and will receive a lot of money from the government and from the current lawsuit, as well as his inheritance that his parents had left him.

“You have to understand that…hum…he’s broken, it won’t be easy to be his sibling. He’ll need a lot of time to heal and lots of love.”

Izzy nodded. She was ready to give him a lot of love. She was no longer reluctant to have a new brother. Alec was still silent, the heart in his mouth. He wanted to ask if besides being locked in the closet, the kidnapper had hurt Jace but he didn’t, not ready to hear the answer.

Even though, he didn’t feel the need to have another sibling, he was ready to welcome him. Jace needed to heal among a family, his family, as his parents were more than ready to help him. Alec didn’t need anyone else besides Izzy, but Jace needed someone.

“He’ll sleep with you, in your room,” added his mom.

Alec blinked. _What?_

He already felt the responsibilities falling upon him. He knew that they all had to show him how to live normally but probably because he was a boy and older, Jace would be able to bound with him more. Alec was frightened at this thought, especially when he saw his dad putting a bed together on the other side of his room.

Izzy asked a lot of questions about Jace: what he looked like? What did he like? What did he hate? What if he didn’t want to play with her?

“Does he like cats?”

Sitting on his bed, Alec was blankly staring at the bed in front of him. His room was no longer his. Izzy was so noisy that he left and took refuge in the kitchen where his mom was. He was thirsty.

“Are you happy to have a little brother?” she asked.

“Yes?”

She smiled and took him in her arms. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest that he looked up. He wasn’t the only one who felt nervous about Jace.

“What if he hates us?” he mumbled against her stomach.

“He won’t but he won’t love us right away either. It’ll take a lot of time.”

“They’ll catch the culprit?”

“I hope so.”

“How did you find him?”

“Your dad knows a lot of people and if we can adopt him it’s because our family is suitable for him and because he has no one else.”

“Dad feels better now?”

Her hand stroked his hair. “Much better.”

“He feels less guilty?”

“No, it’ll follow him until his last breath. That’s what happens when you act recklessly and stupidly.”

“Mom…did Jace got hurt a lot?”

She didn’t answer right away. “Yes and some of his wounds will never heal.”

He really apprehended to have him as a brother, it already seemed challenging and full of hardships to be his family.

 

That night, he couldn’t sleep. Not because Izzy was sleeping with him, curled up into a ball, but because the presence of the empty bed bothered him. He couldn’t stop staring at it, thinking about his new responsibilities.

_I have to show him how to be normal, a normal life, what it’s like to have a family._

He was so scared to be hated or to not be good enough for this poor Jace. His throat tightened. He’ll do his best but sometimes doing his best wasn’t enough. This thought stressed him out even more and he fidgeted in his bed, which made Izzy growl in her sleep.

Jonathan Christopher Wayland, aka Jace. His name made him think about Clary’s brother. He curled up inside his sheets and tightly closed his eyes.

*

Alec was the most nervous, especially when his parents finished putting new clothes for Jace in his closet. They would share everything from now on.

Alec was less and less ready the more he thought about him.

Before falling asleep, Izzy had suggested that they could ride a bike together, go to the swimming pool, and do a lot of things together. Alec doubted that Jace would be able to do any of that. He had been locked in a closet all this time so there was probably a lot of things he didn’t know how to do.

“I’ll teach him,” Izzy had said, ready to give him all the love he deserved.

Alec was quite surprised she wasn’t as reluctant as him. Of course, he would take care of him and be a good big brother, but a part in him didn’t like him as he was one of the reasons they had been neglected by their dad who was looking for him.

He felt guilty to have such feelings towards the poor Jace who wasn’t responsible.

He was so nervous and never had felt that way before. Hence, his silence and ashy complexion. His hands were cold and his stomach hurt. He seriously began to feel sick while everyone around him was excited to welcome this new family member.

He nervously breathed out, breathed in, and slightly shivered.

Once in the car, he looked at the empty spot between Izzy and him. Soon enough, it wouldn’t be an empty spot anymore. They were heading for the office of the psychologist that treated Jace. Their parents were already behaving as if they were _his_ parents.

It was weird.

Mostly because Alec and Izzy hadn’t met him yet.

He briefly wondered if Jace would postpone their parents’ divorce and fix their relationship. Since yesterday they hadn’t had a single argument and now that he was thinking of it, the last few weeks, they hadn’t fought as much as before. He stared at his hands, trying to remember any drastic change in their behavior.

The cookie box that Izzy had taken with her, to give some to Jace, was already half empty.

“Izzy,” scolded her Maryse when they got out of the car.

Alec immediately stopped chewing and hid the remains of his cookie in his hand. They had arrived. As their parents were already ahead and walking fast, Izzy took his hand. She now seemed as nervous as him.

“If he’s too annoying, can they take him back?”

Alec pushed the door. “I don’t think so, and mom and dad said he was nice.”

“He can be nice but annoying.”

“Like you?”

Izzy looked up with a scowl. “Meh,” she whined before sulking.

Alec smiled and froze when he saw their parents in the middle of the hall, talking with a woman and a little boy. _It must be him_ , he thought. He had short blond hair, was tiny and skinny, and was dressed with his missing clothes.

The case was solved, concerning his clothes.

Jace had some bruises over his face, a weird contrast with his skin so pale that it made him lifeless, even though he was moving. He was staring at the floor and didn’t seem to react much at what was happening around him.

Alec had in front of him the consequences of what evil people could do. Jace needed a hug, lots of hugs. 

“Alec, Izzy come here,” loudly said Robert when he saw them.

“I want to pee,” Izzy whispered.

“After,” he said before pulling her arm.

Jace didn’t even pretend to be interested in them and stubbornly stared at the floor. Who had said he was impatient to meet them? Alec glanced at his mom and Izzy hid behind their father’s leg while he stood idly by not knowing what to do.

He silently looked at Jace, particularly at the bruises on his face. He obviously had some wounds, which had healed for most of them. He was so small and looked like a frail little thing that could break easily.

He suddenly glanced up, startling Alec who didn’t expect to meet his gaze. Golden eyes. They were pretty. Only gold, not a single mixture of yellow and green like Magnus’ ones. This eye contact hadn’t last long but it had been enough to shake Alec up.

The golden eyes were empty, lifeless, without any sparkles in them.

He should have talked and introduced himself but clearly, Jace didn’t care about him. The floor was more interesting.

“Jace, this is Alec and Izzy, do you remember?” said the psychologist with a smile for Izzy who was now disillusioned and stared at Jace as if he was the boogeyman.

Jace didn’t look up but his eyes moved to stare at Alec’s shoes.

“What’s wrong with him?” loudly asked Izzy before asking for the toilet as she urgently needed to pee.

Jace remained indifferent but his stare went up to Alec’s knees this time. It was so awkward that Alec wanted to follow his mom and Izzy, he glanced at his father, who was deep in a conversation with the doctor, and felt helpless. From time to time, his hand would pat his head but he didn’t seem to notice that Jace and he weren’t communicating at all.

Alec pressed his back against his dad, looked at the ceiling in a very bored way and glanced back at Jace.

Jace was looking at him. For the second time, their eyes met and Alec forgot to breathe.

His stare was slightly disturbing. He didn’t blink and kept peering at him, intently. Alec smiled, even though his smile looked more like a wince. Unfazed, Jace kept looking at him. So, Alec took a deep breath, he was the big brother so he had to take the lead.

“Can we play somewhere else?” he asked while staring at the psychologist.

She even took them to an empty room where there were a lot of toys for young children.

Robert smiled, ruffled his hair but didn’t touch Jace. Alec understood why when the psychologist gently pushed Jace inside, the way he stared at her hand and then at her face made him understand that he didn’t want nor like to be touched.

Alec had to be careful to not hug him nor hold his hand then. He didn’t want to be stared at this way.

Jace was still staring at him with his piercing golden eyes that were seeing through him. He didn’t know what to say and wished Izzy was with him, as she was more talkative and bubbly.

“Do you like cats?” he lowly asked. “Church is nice most of the time, he’s always grumpy but very fluffy. You’ll like him.”

Jace looked at him so intently that Alec wondered if he wanted to eat him alive.

“We had cookies in the car but Izzy ate everything. She eats a lot and doesn’t like to share her food. She can be annoying but she can also be very nice. And she talks a lot.”

They were still in front of the door but it didn’t seem to bother Jace who watched him sit on the floor, on an alphabet rug. He finally did the same but kept a safe distance between them. Alec then noticed that his clothes were too big for him. He was so tiny. Izzy looked older next to him while they were only a few months apart.

Alec didn’t know what else he could say, maybe he could talk about archery with him, ask him if he knew how to swim, if he could ride bike but Jace didn’t talk, which was a huge problem. 

His parents hadn’t said anything about this matter.

“You don’t want to talk?”

Jace didn’t even blink but flinched in the same time as him when Izzy noisily opened the door.

“I found you!”

She had three little bottles of orange juice in her hands that she gave them before sitting down very closely to Alec without throwing a glance at Jace.

“Where’s mom and dad?” Alec whispered feeling scrutinized by the golden eyes.

“Busy with the psychorologist.”

“Psychologist.”

When they focused back on Jace, he had already finished his bottle.

“I’m Izzy, it rhymes with pretty,” she introduced herself with a little voice. “I’m 6 years old.”

Now, Jace stared at her with the same intensity. Izzy held back his gaze with a grin and took a sip at her orange juice. She seemed to really like him. She even slid on her knees to give him a hug.

Alec’s eyes widened and he quickly grabbed her. “He doesn’t like it!”

It was just an unknown thing for him.

Izzy looked shocked. “You don’t like hugs?”

Jace straightened up on his behind and slid away to be out of range.

“You don’t talk?”

Alec shook his head when Izzy looked at him.

“Mom gives great hugs you know,” she added. “Why were you locked in a closet by this bad person?”

Jace remained unfazed and silently kept staring at him.

“He’s not funny,” Izzy whispered while staring at Jace straight in the eyes.

“Izzy, don’t say that,” Alec whispered in her ear.

He was pretty sure that Jace could hear everything so he caught Izzy, kept her in his arms and put a hand on her mouth for the time being, even though his hand was covered with her saliva and that she was trying to bite him.

Jace blinked and heaved a sigh.

Yeah, Alec perfectly understood how he felt.

 

Jace was complicated and had a lot of health problems. He was trying his best to not touch any of them in the car. Izzy, while staring at him, moved her leg and touched his. Alec glared at her and she stopped.

He was like a wild animal, he had suffered of the refeeding syndrome and still had some issue with food. He had starved and had the typical behavior of an underfed child. He ate everything and was terribly scared of lacking of food. It explained why he ate so quickly and voraciously. From now on, Izzy could no longer eat snacks, not as much as before and not in front of him.

 

Jace was a developmentally and emotionally traumatized child. He didn’t know what love was, he had forgotten this feeling. Loving him wouldn’t be hard, but making him love them would be.

Their new brother never asked for anything and remained silent. He still hadn’t uttered a single word in their presence. He knew how to speak though, as had said Maryse when Alec had discreetly asked her. Jace was just scared to le laughed at. He wasn’t talking like a six years old child and was aware that he was language delayed.

“Keep talking to him,” had ordered them their mom.

And Izzy did to her heart content, even their parents who often turned their head to make sure that he was doing fine. Alec stopped looking at the landscape through the window and noticed that Jace had an untied shoelace. He looked up. Jace was staring at his hands and was playing with his fingers. He didn’t really know if he could tie his shoelace back as Jace didn’t like to be touched and that Alec intended to touch his shoe that would touch his sock that would touch his foot, which would frightened him. As if he wasn’t already frightened enough to be surrounded by four people.

Alec took his courage in both hands and bent down to tie a tight knot. Jace didn’t kick him but stiffened and lengthily stared at him

“I’m hungry,” complained Izzy.

They all were after this exhausting day. Alec could even here Jace’s stomach growl.

“Jace you’ll be fine if we eat in a restaurant to celebrate your first day among us?” asked their mom with concern.

Jace stared at her and nodded. Izzy poked his cheek with her finger.

“Izzy,” they all said in the same time while Jace’s eyes flinched.

He slightly moved closer to Alec who inadvertently touched his hand, which made him curl up as if Alec had the plague.

Strangely, Jace didn’t seem to mind Maryse’s touch, even if he froze when she touched his shoulder as he wasn’t moving. She smiled at him and murmured something in his ear. She was behaving like his mom and it erased Izzy’s smile. She seemed to have understood what Jace’s presence in the house implied.

In the restaurant, Alec and Izzy were facing their parents and Jace who was in the middle. It was weird that their dad had decided to share a meal with them. It hadn’t happened for a while. Thanks to Jace a lot of things had changed and didn’t happen.

Their parents were asking him what he wanted to eat, wrapping him with love and attention that seemed to stress him out. Alec glanced at his little sister who was about to cry and rolled his eyes.

“Idiot,” he murmured.

“I’m rubber, you’re glue, whatever you say, bounces off me, and sticks to you!” Izzy quickly said before whining. “Mom, Alec said I was an idiot.”

“Don’t say that Alec,” said their dad. “It makes you stupid to say this kind of things.”

“It runs in the family then,” Alec mumbled low enough to not be heard.

Jace was staring at him, over the menu, not paying attention to what their parents were saying.

Alec couldn’t wait to be home.

They quickly did, Jace looked too uncomfortable to be surrounding by so many people and looked like a poor frightened little rabbit. Izzy was now even more upset, they hadn’t eaten desserts.

“Izzy please,” begged their mom. “Be nice, it’s not his fault.”

In the parking lot, Alec saw Jace stepping backwards as if he wanted to run away. But Robert was watching them and prevented any escape by taking him in his arms.

Jace looked genuinely terrified. He was so scared that Alec couldn’t help but snort when he saw his reaction.

“We’ll have desserts another day, let’s go home, everyone’s tired.”

Jace winced and stared at Alec above Robert’s shoulder. Alec smiled and Jace blinked before hiding his face behind his arm.

Back in the car, Jace seemed to get used to them, a tiny bit. He still hadn’t said anything and Alec wondered how awkward it would be to share his room with him. He couldn’t imagine it and wasn’t impatient to go to sleep all in all.

Jace straightened up when he saw their house and looked for the first time interested.

“We’re home,” Maryse murmured, eyes full of expectations.

Izzy noisily breathed out and quickly got out of the car. In the entrance, Church grumpily welcomed them and sniffed Jace’s ankles before nibbling his pants. He then threw at him a jaded look and walked away.

Jace followed him with his eyes that he cast here and there, without moving his feet. Robert slightly pushed him inside and they showed him the house.

“You’ll share your room with Alec.”

“It’s Alec who’s sharing his room with him,” corrected Izzy.

Maryse pursed her lips and lengthily stared at her, making her understand that she was talking too much.

“Alec will show you your bed, come back after. I’ll be upstairs with Robert.”

Jace, Alec and Izzy watched her climb the stairs and as Jace wasn’t following him in the corridor, Alec put his hand in front of his face and waved it.

“My room is just here.”

He didn’t have to tell him where Izzy’s room was as she loudly closed the door with a sulk. Jace came in, hesitantly, slowly looked around and sat on his bed as if he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“You must be tired,” Alec noted before following his gaze.

He was staring at his dragon on the windowsill.

“Izzy,” he only said to explain his state.

Jace stared at him, the mouth slightly opened before shutting it down completely.

“You can talk, I won’t make fun of you. I’m not like that. Izzy neither.”

Jace then stared at his hands for a while, got up and quickly left while Alec was wondering how he would be able to tame him. Being his brother wouldn’t be easy, far from it.

 

The troubles were just beginning. Alec did his best to not show how upset he was but it wasn’t Jace’s fault.

Maryse bit her lips. She hadn’t thought about this, which would affect Alec’s sleep. Jace needed some light in order to sleep while Alec needed darkness. When he and Izzy were younger and shared the same room, there was a time when Izzy had a lot of nightmares. Their mom had then put a nightlight in their room, which had highly disturbed Alec’s sleep despite the low brightness of the device. So, they had left the door of the room half-open for Izzy.

Alec had better coped with this system as the light in the corridor wasn’t on all night long.

In this case, Jace needed light until the next morning and not from a nightlight.

There wasn’t any light in closets, thought Alec with a glance towards Jace who was as usual staring at him. No wonder he needed to light up his nights now.

“It’s okay,” Alec murmured.

He just had to sleep under his sheets, he would try at least. His mom looked at him with such a proud expression that he got embarrassed, especially since Jace was staring at them. She kissed his forehead before doing the same -with a lot of hesitation- with Jace.

“I love all my children equally,” she only said. “But one of them is a crybaby so I’ll see her, she must be sulking.”  

Alec smiled and he and Jace ended up alone in the same room.

“Good night,” he said before going to bed.

He buried himself under the sheets but he could still see through them, the light was too bright. He slowly breathed in, he would soon suffocate at this rate. He closed his eyes and heard Jace’s bed squeaking, then a rustling and Jace stopped moving.

“Good night.”

Alec grinned. At least he was polite. “Yeah, good night,” he said again with a smile in his voice.

He could really talk, Alec hoped to hear more of his voice the day after and even wished to see a smile, or even a gleam of something in his pretty eyes. He wondered how Magnus or even Will and Jem would react when he’ll tell them that he had a little brother now. He could already imagine the face they will make and it made him snort, before remembering that he was no longer alone in this room.

When he rolled over, he freed his head to breathe properly and saw that Jace was still staring at him. Their beds weren’t far from each other and as they were now facing each other, he could see his eyes more closely.

“You can close your eyes,” he said with hesitation.

Maybe he was sleeping with his eyes opened, like Hodge. Jace quickly closed them to open them again after three seconds. Alec slowly turned around to face the wall. He still could feel his eyes on his back.

Golden eyes and golden hair.

Jace was indeed a precious child that his parents would cherish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jace's story is sadly inspired by a real story : Lauren Kavanaugh "the girl in the closet", at the time when she was discovered, she was considered one of the worst child abuse cases where the child did not die. 
> 
> If you want to know more about her : for French fellows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAKTBMVSQQY  
> For English speakers : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgVhFrWNfS8&list=PLyz4PZfwaALLlAKgCHIfjWxwiwtr-OdYo
> 
> I wanted to call this chapter "the boy in the closet" but I wasn't comfortable with it and I thought it would be more childlike to call this chapter like this as the next one which will end Alec's childhood will be "The second brother nobody asked for". Baby Max hehehe, Alec's full time job as a big brother will never end and has only begun.
> 
> Thanks for reading ! (/(^∞^)\\) 
> 
> P.S.: Jace is a Wayland and has never been sexually assaulted.


	10. The second brother nobody asked for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter of the 1st part !  
> Sorry for the mistakes as always

Alec didn’t sleep well but he noticed it only when he woke up feeling unusually more tired. He was in a weird position, the forehead stuck against the wall, the leg trapped between the same wall and his bed. His neck hurt, his eyes burned and he was in a fuggy state that prevented him to remember what happened the night before.

He turned on his back and gazed at the light on the ceiling. He blinked and froze, suddenly remembering that he was not alone in his room. He didn’t dare to look on his right and kept his eyes on the light which was still on despite the sunlight. He held back his breath and quickly glanced at his brother.

Jace was staring at him, in the exact same position than last night.

His golden eyes were on him, watching his every move as if he didn’t trust him enough to stop looking at him.

Alec wondered with worry if he had slept while Jace was gazing at him unblinkingly, with this same disturbing look in his pretty eyes. No wonder he had so badly slept, who would?

“Did you sleep?” Alec asked in a hoarsely voice before clearing his throat.

Jace remained silent. Only his head wasn’t buried under the sheets and the bed cover. At least he was nicely wrapped into the warm and comfortable bed.

“Are you hungry?” he asked while getting up to turn the light off, as Jace no longer needed it.

The golden eyes kept staring at him, making Alec more and more uncomfortable. _Why is he staring at me like that?_ He nervously looked away and quietly left the room to go in the kitchen, in order to bring him something to eat. Jace didn’t follow him but as soon as he had left he heard footsteps, a meowing and the sound of the door.

Izzy was awake and obviously couldn’t have waited to see Jace. Alec hoped she felt better and was no longer biter about their new brother. He took a bowl, poured milk and a lot of cereals.

Oops, maybe too much.

The household was silent, he glanced at the stairs with a thought for his parents who were probably still sleeping. He still wondered why they had decided to take Jace in and if it will really make things better for all of them. Clearly, it would for their dad who would now be more present. Yet, things wouldn’t get back as they were previously, before he learned about the death of his former best friend. Ever since then, he had been busy and had forgotten to take care of Izzy and Alec.

Alec totally understood Izzy’s behavior towards Jace. Even though she was happy to see him and to have him as a sibling, she also felt like he had stolen their dad from them. Besides, until now she was the baby in the family, the one everyone cared about.

Now it would be Jace.

Izzy could be really territorial, jealous and selfish but her position as the precious child was threatened. Alec didn’t really mind, he never had been in this position, he was just afraid of all his responsibilities as the eldest child, like making sure that Izzy would be nice and that Jace will feel happy to be their sibling.

He ate the surplus of cereals and carefully went back into his room, but he still managed to spill milk on his way. Jace was still in bed but only his hair was visible, he was hiding from Izzy who was staring at him on Alec’s bed, while Church was grooming his fluffy fur on the windowsill.

“I only have one bowl,” Alec hastened to say when he saw the way Izzy was looking at what he was holding in his hands.

He should have brought another one for her, given the face she made. Never had he brought food for anyone before, not even for her. She was now grumpily -and with animosity- staring at Jace, waiting for him to stick his head out.

Alec realized he had made his first mistake and sheepishly glanced at her. Izzy’s lips were pursed and she had on a face a familiar pout. He slowly sat on Jace’s bed while making sure to not touch him.

Izzy was still staring at the bowl of cereals with narrowed eyes. He winced and silently told her to stop.

“Me too I want to eat cereals,” she dryly retorted.

Jace fidgeted between the sheets but Alec still couldn’t see his hair or his eyes. He lengthily stared at the cereals, overwhelmed by the awkwardness of the situation before he decided to leave the bowl on the floor next to his bed. Izzy frowned when she saw him walking towards her and opened the mouth to protest noisily when he grabbed her arm.

“I’ll give you some,” he whispered to make her understand that they have to leave Jace alone for now.

She obediently followed him and they left Church and Jace behind to go in the kitchen, but Alec didn’t really left and stayed behind the closed door of his room, the ear stuck against it to make sure that everything was fine. Izzy did the same.

“He’s weird.”

Indeed, he was but he was normally weird.

“Maybe he doesn’t like cereals,” she suggested.

Alec shrugged. He was pretty sure Jace had felt oppressed by their presence and hadn’t felt like eating in front of them. He still didn’t know whether he had slept or not though and hoped it wasn’t because of his bad sleeping habits. He would have to report it to his mom anyway.

Izzy clicked her tongue to show her impatience. She was hungry and Alec still hadn’t prepared her bowl of cereals.

“You’re old enough to feed yourself,” he noted while opening the fridge.

Izzy looked betrayed. “You said you’ll give me cereals and you brought him a bowl,” she almost whined with imploring eyes.

Alec inwardly winced but hastened to give her what she wanted. He had to show his siblings the same amount of love and care, even if for now he loved Izzy more but cared more about Jace.

It wasn’t a competition.

The both of them were eating in front of the TV while watching a documentary about penguins when their mom came downstairs with messy hair, in her pajamas and robe.

“It’s still early,” she managed to say after a yawn.

Izzy immediately stood up to have a kiss and a hug while Alec remained captivated by the eggs which were about to hatch. He blinked and looked up when the dark long hair of his mom prevented him to see the baby penguins.

“Did you sleep well?” she asked with a kiss on his forehead.

“Yes,” he lied before telling her about Jace who was hiding in his bed and who didn’t eat his bowl of cereals. “I don’t think he slept.”

Maryse slightly frowned and sighed before leaving to see how Jace was doing, closely followed by Izzy and Alec who also wanted to see him. Izzy giggled when they arrived in front of the door and Alec stepped backwards when she opened the door, their mom went inside with a soft smile on her lips. From what Alec could see, Jace was still hiding but the bowl on the floor was empty.

Alec smiled and shyly followed Izzy when he noticed Church’s fluffy tail sticking out from the sheets. Church seemed not to mind Jace anymore. Izzy jumped on the bed while their mom was carefully talking to Jace

“Izzy you’re crushing his feet,” she said.

Alec’s eyes widened when she got kicked. Jace’s foot moved so quickly that Alec wasn’t sure he had seen the sheets move but given Izzy’s expression it did happen. Their mom hadn’t seen anything and was still talking softly to not afraid him.

Izzy was now standing on her feet, the eyes narrowed while Jace who was no longer hiding was staring at her with the same expressionless and emptiness in the depth of his eyes.

Yet, a smile appeared on his lips.

It was a pale imitation of a real smile though, but with a hint of mischief, which brought life to his face and golden eyes.

His first smile.

Alec’s heart beat faster, as if he had just seen the most wonderful thing in the world. And it was the case in a way. It was the first time Jace had a different and clear expression on his face. Sadly, this little smile quickly faded away and was only for Izzy. He couldn’t help thinking that even if she had managed to steal a smile from him, he had been the first one to have heard his voice. For no reason, he felt cocky about it, like a small victory he was extremely proud of.

It wasn’t a competition, he had to remind himself.

Izzy didn’t seem to realize how precious this smile had been but looked shook nonetheless.

“Mom,” she said with a frown.

But their mom was too busy and focused on Jace to listen to her. Alec pulled a face when he heard her say what they would do together today, the five of them.

Izzy had just realized that there might be someone more mischievous than her, who might be a strong rival, while Alec thought to himself that for once their dad would take several days off from work, but only for Jace.

Jace the precious golden child was slowly stealing and taking over their parents.

Alec was only eight, felt many things –mainly confusion, worrisome and confusion again- but he was captivated by his new brother and his pretty eyes. More captivated than he should be, even at the sight of his frail body covered with scars.

*

Jace was a complicated child and Alec had never met anyone like him. Yet, he weirdly made him hazily remember Magnus when they had first met in kindergarten. However, the main difference was that Magnus had been more cooperative and had followed him everywhere. Only the language had been an obstacle between them and Magnus had also wanted to be his friend.

His best friend and his new brother were strangely alike. The both of them were hiding their scars, ate a lot, had a frail built, and were looking suspiciously at people as if they couldn’t trust them.

Magnus at least was cheerful most of the time.

Alec didn’t know what to do. Everything had been simple with him. Perhaps he had been annoying but Magnus had managed to deal with him. Moreover, he had to say that if he hadn’t been so persistent, his English would never have been this good and they would probably have never become best friends.

He smiled at the mere thought of him and became uncomfortable when he noticed once again Jace’s stare on him. He discreetly looked around to see if Izzy or his mom were here but they were alone in the kitchen.

Jace was like Church. He studied people and hid in a corner as soon as he could to not bother anyone, as if the house wasn’t big enough. He didn’t like to be touched, was expressionless and impatiently waited to be fed.

After a week, Alec had gotten used to sleep with the light on and had realized throughout the nights they had spent together that Jace waited for him to fall asleep before doing the same. And still, he didn’t sleep much. He was too afraid that the light would suddenly die out or to be locked away in a closet while he was asleep, hence why he was a light sleeper.

Jace didn’t trust them. He didn’t trust anyone.

Alec didn’t know what to earn his trust as nothing worked. If Jace didn’t dare to reject Maryse and Robert, he clearly did with Izzy and him and as Alec didn’t want him to find him annoying or to even hate him, he didn’t insist.

Sadly for him, his parents insisted and put pressure on him. Alec had to be annoying even if it meant to be hated. He had to show Jace how to be a normal little boy. So, he tried his best to make him smile and speak but there was no result and Izzy wasn’t helpful. She was consumed by jealousy and in order to not be mean didn’t interact at all with Jace.

Alec didn’t know what to do, shared as he was between him and her. She just needed time, more time than him to get used to this new sibling and to the fact that for now he required a lot of attention from everyone, implying that she will have less.

Princess Izzy wasn’t happy. Church neither, but he was always grumpy so it didn’t matter.

Alec glanced out of the window. It was raining, he couldn’t suggest to go outside and play in the garden. It didn’t matter anyway, Jace was already walking away to sit on the couch, preferring to stare into emptiness rather than play with him.

As Jace could do this for hours, Alec took a deep breath and slowly followed him and sat at a reasonable distance from him.

“We can watch TV if you want,” he shyly suggested.

Jace kept staring silently at his hands and looked up at the screen when Alec turned the TV on. He glanced at him from time to time, slightly curled up on himself, like Church when Izzy pet him too much. Alec heaved a sigh and sank deeper into the couch with a scowl. The summer holidays were way too long, he couldn’t wait for the new school year. Then, he felt guilty towards Jace who had done nothing to annoy him. He sheepishly stared at him. Jace was already looking at him.

He seemed to know with the way he was looking at him. His expressionless golden eyes were intently staring at him, through his soul. Maybe he knew that it was difficult for Alec and Izzy to handle him, hence why he rejected them. He was giving them a hard time and seemed to be self-conscious about it. It wasn’t what Alec wanted.

With Jace it wasn’t give and take but give and give, until he understood what having a family meant and how being loved and surrounded felt like.

Even if it meant to be annoying. Alec would show him how to love and to be loved, he would do his best not to cut and run as he intended to do now.

Yet, he didn’t want his love to be annoying.

There was nothing to watch on TV so Alec gratefully looked at Izzy when she reluctantly walked towards them, closely followed by their mom who looked weird, as if she expected something from her.

“Mom wants us to play hide and seek,” she mumbled without looking at Jace.

Their mother’s eyes widened and she almost glared at her. “It’s Izzy’s idea.”

Izzy immediately looked scandalized. “No, it’s yours! I don’t wanna play!”

Alec pursed his lips and nervously glanced at Jace who was staring at her, unfazed, as if she was saying she didn’t want to play with another kid. Obviously, this game idea came from their mother who wanted them to be closer and to have fun together. Alec rolled his eyes when Jace rejected Izzy when she attempted to take his hand in a very reluctant way.

She didn’t seem to understand that he also had feelings, at least she didn’t seem to care. Her own feelings were hurt. Izzy didn’t like to be rejected hence why she was reluctant and so unfriendly, besides resenting him for all the attention he needed. She didn’t see him like a sibling but like a rival.

After quickly explaining the game, Maryse began to count, the hands covering her eyes and the forehead stuck against the wall. Alec stupidly stood still, thinking to himself that it was the first time she really played with them. Usually, she didn’t have the time, asked them to play together so Izzy and Alec were exclusively each other playmates.

Jace could create miracles.

Izzy grabbed his hand when she saw him not moving but only for a short moment as right now, they were in a competition for the best hideout. Alec snorted when she noisily ran upstairs.

Jace was still here, unable to move and looking slightly lost. Their eyes met. Alec took him back to his room and showed him a decent hiding place between his bed and the closet. Jace curled up into the narrow spot before looking up with a puzzled expression.

“If she finds you, you’ve lost,” Alec whispered before walking away to find his own hideout.

He carefully and silently closed the door behind him and tiptoed towards the stairs while passing behind his mom. He held back his breath, winced when Church followed him upstairs and literally stopped when the floorboards squeaked under his foot.

His mom would know that two of them were upstairs. She had already counted to seventy so he had to be fast. He didn’t know where was Izzy but she wasn’t in the best hiding place. Perfect, he thought before curling up inside his parents’ huge closet, between two black dresses that smelled like his mom. He moved a bag and some stuff in front of him to hide his legs and lengthily breathed out.

Normally, she would not find him right away.

He closed his eyes. He was always tired and actually enjoyed this alone time, which he didn’t have for quite some time. Plunged into darkness, his eyes and his mind could finally take a break from his family. He missed the darkness at night that he no longer could taste despite his closed eyelids. He really hoped that someday Jace would no longer need the light to sleep soundly.

He was good at pretending and totally understood his sister. He thought back about what she had said before they met him, if they could give him back if he was too troublesome. He immediately felt guilty, especially when he remembered how lost Jace had been a few seconds before. He almost squealed at the mere realization of how bad he was and how unkind his thoughts were. Here again, Jace hadn’t done anything wrong.

Alec was so tired to think about Jace, all his mind was full of him. He gave a shriek when suddenly the closet opened on his little sister who pushed Jace inside –especially on Alec- before stepping on his feet to hide herself inside as well.

His heart was madly pounding by the sudden fear and by the pain of having two kids crushing him underneath their weights. Jace wasn’t heavy, unlike Izzy, but was bony and it hurt pretty badly.

“What the hell?” he asked, highly annoyed. “Get out, I was here first!”

“Mom is cheating, she asked dad to look for us too,” explained Izzy who had hidden in the study before going downstairs where she had met Jace who hadn’t seemed to understand fully that he was supposed to stay in his hideout.

Alec wasn’t really listening to her, as Jace had mumbled a low _sorry_ that he had almost not heard. He was ready to forgive him anything only at the mere sound of his voice. Finally, he had said something else than _good night_.

So, Alec shared his hideout with them without realizing that they were locked in a closet, that _Jace_ was locked in a closet. For them it was just a hiding place, nothing more whereas for Jace it was different and familiar.

Alec frowned when he heard him breathe faster and in a very unusual way that worried him. It was too dark to see his face but he immediately tried to reach him. His hand touched a knee, a bony and shaky knee. Then, he realized what they have done and his mind went blank.

They had made a huge mistake.

“Izzy open the closet,’’ he breathed out.

She didn’t react right away so Alec pushed her aside before noisily opening the closet doors. He then quickly looked back at Jace who was hiding in the shadows between two expensive coats. He didn’t look good at all.

“Are you okay?” he stupidly asked while Izzy clang to him, afraid by what was happening.

How could they be so cruel? It wasn’t intentional but the damage was done. Jace looked dead. He was not crying but seemed so frightened, anxious and sick that a shiver ran down Alec’s spine. Izzy made a shy attempt to hug him but he was so huddled into himself that she only patted his back as if she was petting Church.

“There, there,” she solemnly murmured.

Jace didn’t calm down. Maybe it never crossed his mind that Izzy intended to hide him with her in a closet, hence why he hadn’t reacted, unless he hadn’t been able to say anything, too slow to do so and too shy to loudly warn them about his fear that Alec and Izzy were not able to guess on time.

It wasn’t really Izzy’s fault nor Jace’s and Alec wasn’t looking for the culprit but it was almost the end of the world for him. It was his responsibility –mostly, as Izzy didn’t really do anything- to make sure of his well-being. Obviously, he had miserably failed and now could be very badly scolded for this incident.

Izzy was now really nice with Jace. She always had a good heart but seeing her becoming herself comforted Alec about her feelings towards their new brother.

Alec cleared his throat. “Hum…it’ll be a good idea to get him out of here.”

He was slightly scared that Jace would suddenly throw up on the clothes, which would prove their presence on the incident scene. He carefully took his hand that was tightly stuck to his pants before trying to unwrap his arms from his legs. Maybe he did shed a tear, he thought, as Jace refused to show his face that he stubbornly kept hiding behind his other arm. However, he obediently followed Alec under the bed while Izzy remained inside the closet, peeping on them through the half open doors.

Jace sniffled and wiped his nose on his right sleeve. He looked better but Alec wasn’t sure if he still wanted to play.

“You’ll be fine?”

Jace stared at him right in the eyes. They weren’t that close but Alec’s heart was madly pounding for an unknown reason. His eyes were red and he could see the remains of some tears on his eyelashes.

“You can nod or shake your head you know.”

Jace nodded but he was still tense and didn’t look as well as before, but his breath was now steady. Alec shyly touched his arm and tried to smile despite his uneasiness.

“Sorry for the closet and…you’ll be fine, no one will lock you in a closet here.”

Even if Izzy had exactly done it a moment ago.

“If…if it happens, we’ll save you so don’t worry.”

Jace nodded and blinked but he still didn’t trust them and would never after what they have done. Alec heaved a sigh and couldn’t wait for his parents to find them.

When Izzy began to sing a little song she had just made up about a girl who was hiding in a closet and who was desperately waiting for someone to find her and once Jace heaved a sigh next to him, Alec realized no one was looking for them.

The house wasn’t that big and their mom was usually quickly doing things. He let out a growl and crawled up to the exit. He should have known beforehand. But then, why their father had still not find them either? It was weird.

Yet, it was just as well. Like this Jace would recover without them knowing about the closet. Unless, Jace intended to tell them. Anyways, Alec and Izzy had to make him feel better. They secretly managed to go downstairs while holding Jace’s hands who was suspiciously glancing at them with a weary gleam of _what’s next?_

Once they reached the living room, Alec and Izzy’s eyes met. Their parents were loudly arguing in the garage. Hence the reason why none of them were looking for them. It was also a sad way to show Jace how hide-and-seek had to be played. It explained a lot of things, maybe their parents were still arguing regularly and Jace’s presence in the family hadn’t changed anything as Alec had first thought.

His parents had just learned to hide their loud disagreements.

Izzy sighed when she saw the door that lead to the garage half open. “Like always.”

She took them with authority to her room. Alec expected her to have a game idea, a cooler one that would make Jace smile or even less tensed up, but at the sight of the amount of snacks she had stolen from the kitchen, he slowly breathed in.

Jace didn’t seem interest at the sight of her girly room even if it was his first time here, his eyes were mesmerized by the yummy treats.

Izzy had found a way to bribe him for his silence about what had happened upstairs.

“Only one,” Alec hastened to say when Jace took one cookie from the colorful package.

Izzy and Jace weren’t allowed to eat between meals as Izzy was always snacking and Jace could eat anything and everything, including the packaging of the cookies. It was an eating disorder from what Alec had heard whereas it was only gluttony for Izzy.

Jace couldn’t eat by himself, there was always someone to make sure he would eat normally and correctly without chewing on a weird object that he could ingest. Until now, Alec thought his mom regularly checked on Izzy about her stealing food and candies but he was wrong, unless Izzy was a very good thief, which was the case.

“No,” he said when Izzy gave a second cookie to a hungry Jace. “I said just one.”

Alec could swear that Jace had just glared at him and was now speechless, but the latter obeyed and didn’t take another cookie. So, Izzy ate it, not as fast as him, before she hid the snacks under her pillow. She then stared at him with imploring eyes and he sighed, he wouldn’t say anything about her snacks.

He just hoped, after seeing the way Jace was staring at her, that she wouldn’t secretly give him food just because he was sad, scared or endearing. He was actually surprised she had agreed to share some, given how selfish she could be concerning food.

Izzy was a good girl. A food thief but a good sister.

Jace looked fine, quietly sitting next to Izzy who was showing him a book to kill time. Alec wasn’t even jealous as Jace wasn’t paying attention to her and was staring into space. Maybe he wasn’t feeling that great after all.

Alec quietly left to check on their parents and kicked Church in the corridor. He winced and quickly bent down to apologize. Church silently meowed and followed him up to the garage door. He couldn’t see his parents through the opening but they were yelling at each other loudly enough for him to hear everything. They weren’t arguing about them, which was a good thing, but about the future of their couple, as if there was none.

He felt his heart shrank when he heard his mother cry and wondered if she would receive roses as always. He stepped backwards when he suddenly saw his father’s shadow but wasn’t quick enough to go back into his room so he stupidly stuck his back against the wall, hoping to be less visible this way.

His dad seemed as terrified as he was but quickly put up a front and clenched his jaws.

“Where’re Izzy and Jace?”

“In her room,” he almost whispered after avoiding his eyes.

“You’re done playing hide-and-seek?”

Obviously, as none of them had decided to find them. Alec didn’t answer and looked on his right, hoping to escape from him and the faster the better. His mom appeared with tears streaming down her cheeks, she was wiping her nose on her hand with several sniffles, until she noticed Alec, which made her remember about the game.

“I won’t eat tonight,” she dryly said. “There’re leftovers in the fridge,” she added before going upstairs.

Alec inwardly winced, his dad wasn’t a good cook. The latter sighed and ruffled his hair as he passed him.

“Why do you never cry?” he suddenly asked, thinking back about the divorce papers he had found once.

Robert turned around with a frown. “It’s not because I don’t show my emotions that I don’t feel anything. Men don’t cry.”

But they make others cry, thought Alec when he saw him walking away. He was still a child but had already made Izzy, Magnus and Jace cry. His throat tightened, he hoped to not make anyone cry ever again and to simply not become like his father.

 

Izzy looked with disgust at the weird looking omelet in her plate. It wasn’t even yellow but brown and green. Jace didn’t care and was almost finished while Alec glanced at his father who was going upstairs to ask their mom one last time if she wanted to eat.

Maybe Alec should have reminded him about the leftovers in the fridge. It would have been better than this. Izzy quickly gave her share to Jace and they exchanged their plates.

Jace still looked fine despite still being strangely absentminded, withdrawn, guarded, mistrustful, and more than usual. Yet, he didn’t talk about the closet, not even when Robert asked him if he had fun today when he came back.

Alec looked up, worried that their mom would not eat, while Jace nodded. Izzy let out a relieved sigh, smiled at Alec and left the table to go upstairs see their mom with chocolate, in case she was hungry. Jace’s eyes hungrily followed her before focusing on Alec who didn’t dare to eat.

“You still don’t want to talk?” nonchalantly asked Robert.

Jace glanced at him, then at Alec. He still didn’t want to talk to him and Izzy but once he was alone with Maryse and Robert he was not really much more talkative but still said much more. Alec had only heard his good nights and that was all, even though he had told him several times that no one would laugh at him for being language delayed. His mom had even told him that Jace wasn’t that language delayed, he stuttered over some words and could speak very awkwardly but it wasn’t really that bad actually.

“If you don’t talk it’ll be hard to communicate and you won’t become any better.”

Alec slowly chewed the piece of omelet he couldn’t quite swallow given its weird texture. He perfectly could understand Jace actually, mostly through the way he was staring at him, at Izzy or at anything around him. It wasn’t complicated but he would rather hear his voice.

Jace nodded and Robert heaved a sigh, which made Alec smile. There was someone even more stubborn than him in the family.

Later, Maryse showed up to bath Jace, to kiss them and to promise them a better meal the next day. Jace’s lips corner slightly curled up upwards. He still hadn’t said anything, maybe Izzy’s cookie was working.

Alec stared at the light before rolling on the side to face the wall. He entirely hid his body under the sheets in order to not feel the gaze of Jace on him.

“Good night,” said as usual Jace.

And as usual, Alec smiled. “Good night…and sorry again for today,” he sheepishly added.

Jace’s bed squeaked while Alec nervously waited for a response that didn’t come. He closed his eyes and breathed in to wake up much later in the middle of the night. He absentmindedly stared at the light on the ceiling before blinking with a frown. He straightened up and freed his legs to sit on the edge of his bed.

Jace was asleep despite being fidgety. He was probably having a nightmare. It was rare that Alec could see him sleep as he was always awake when Alec felt asleep and when he woke up,  which explained why he kept staring at him, not sure of what he could do aside waking him up.

He had to, at least to free him from this awful nightmare, especially when he whimpered while fidgeting harder. Alec walked towards his bed and bent over him to see his face before shaking his shoulder. Given the face he was making, his nightmare seemed to be very scary.

As he wasn’t waking up, Alec shook him harder. “Jace,” he whispered.

Maybe it wasn’t the first time he was having a nightmare, he thought with worry before wondering if he had to tell his parents. He quickly dismissed this thought when Jace opened his eyes with a look of pure terror. He seemed so frightened and about to cry until he realized where he was and who was bending over him.

He took a deep breath and calmly looked at Alec who could hear the beats of his heart. Jace was as good as he was at pretending.

“Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare? Do you want to drink?”

Jace blinked and slightly frowned before nodding. So, Alec assumed he was okay, did have a nightmare and wanted a glass of water. He hastened to leave and almost ran to the kitchen while Church sneaked inside the room, he was pretty sure he had sure spilled some water on his way but the glass was still full.

“Church,” he said when he saw the grumpy cat bothering Jace.

He carefully closed the door behind him and Church jumped on Jace who quickly sat up with distrustful eyes. Alec grabbed the cat after giving him the glass of water and dropped him on the floor.

“Thank you,” hoarsely murmured Jace with a glance.

He had already drunk everything.

Alec smiled and awkwardly sat next to him under Church’s glare, unhappy to be put aside. They both jumped when he hissed at them.

“He’s nice don’t worry.”

Jace didn’t look convinced and kept staring at the snarly cat who taunted Alec comfortably settled on his pillow with narrowed eyes. This cat could be a real pain in the ass.

“You’ll be fine?’ he asked, ready to go back to sleep.

Jace stared back at him and while looking straight into his eyes shook his head. _Oh._ His nightmare must have been really scary.

“It was really scary?”

Jace nodded, the eyes focused on his hands. “Closet,” he whispered.

Alec winced and his heart sank deeper into his chest. It was his and Izzy’s fault, they had triggered something, and obviously this accident had rekindled bad memories and deep fears. He wanted to ask what he was scared of besides being locked up again but he didn’t have the right as his parents had strictly forbidden him and Izzy to ask him any questions about what he had gone through before meeting them.

They could only guess from what they had heard and from what they had seen through his behavior. Alec really felt sorry and sheepishly looked at him with nervousness.

“You know, you’re safe here, there’s dad, he can be very scary, mom too and I have a bow so don’t worry, he won’t find you.”

This evil person who had so deeply hurt him will never be able to find him again. Jace was free, physically at least. In order to make him fall asleep and to prevent any flashbacks, Alec got up to pick the heavy and huge book Hodge had offered him for his seventh birthday.

Jace suspiciously glanced at him and at the book but seemed not to hate stories –Alec’s stories- as the little boy had to make up several ones. Yet, nothing could be done Jace couldn’t sleep and looked too awake because of Alec and his weird stories.

Besides, Alec was the only one who felt tired and wanted to sleep. He yawned and looked at him, especially at his golden eyes.

“You’re not tired?”

Jace shook his head so Alec decided to sleep in his bed in case he was too scared. He almost laughed when he saw his expression: widened eyes and mouth opened in a silent protestation.

“I’ll stay here until you fall asleep.”

Jace remained confused but lay down and wrapped up the sheets around his body, like a burrito, while Alec was doing the same. He winced when felt his bones against his arm and slightly tensed up given the awkwardness of this close proximity and with the way Jace was staring at him.

He lengthily hesitated to hug him as he did with Magnus whenever he had nightmares. Magnus hugged him back but mostly to immobilize him as he moved a lot in his sleep, so Alec wasn’t sure if Magnus hugged him because he was frightened or just wanted to sleep soundly.

His arm naturally slid on Jace’s belly who looked utterly shocked by this affectionate and protective gesture.

“My best friend loves cuddles when he’s having nightmares,” he murmured. “Izzy too.”

But maybe Jace didn’t like them, yet he didn’t move and just stiffened, the heart madly pounding under Alec’s arm. He wasn’t used to it and looked so awkward that he decided to close his eyes while Alec began to doze off. He was almost asleep after making sure that Jace’s breath was slow and steady and stayed where he was, even when Church joined them.

I should go back to my bed, he thought when he saw the cat who was grooming his great self on him but he didn’t and when he woke up several hours later, Jace was staring at him like usual.

“You move a lot,” he only said with a blink.

*

Alec proudly looked at Izzy who was facing up her responsibilities as Jace’s sister. She had gotten used to him, she just needed time. Yet, it didn’t mean that she always behaved with him, she was doing her best to not be too mischievous though. Jace didn’t seem to mind and even began to be as mischievous as her, it was only the beginning and Alec perfectly remembered his first smile full of wickedness when he had kicked Izzy.

Still, as good as Izzy could be she wasn’t a good example but was more fun and less annoying than Alec who could only watch them having fun and eating cookies. Nevertheless, he was proud of his little sister who had grown up.

“I’m proud of you,” he very seriously said with a pat on her bun.

She frowned and looked up, the mouth full, while Jace suspiciously stared at him, afraid that he would tattle about their snacking. It was their favorite activity: snacking everyday despite Alec’s scolding, which made him very annoying. Izzy seemed highly pleased with his praise while Jace seemed rather confused.

“Why are you proud of her?” he asked as they were doing something they shouldn’t.

“Because now she cares about you.”

Jace frowned, not sure to understand what he implied. Even though he talked more than before, he still remained a quiet child who struggled sometimes with words but he was getting better thanks to them all and to the teacher who was coming from time to time so that he could go to school in the fall, but only if he was ready of course. He would be in the same class as Izzy who couldn’t wait to go to school with him, which seemed to highly stress Jace out.

Alec too would get extremely nervous at the idea of being in the same class as her.

“You care about me?” Jace asked.

Izzy nodded before giving him another cookie. No wonder, they were so close, so close that Alec felt left out and slightly envious of their bond. He sighed and left his sister’s room to not suffer any longer about this sibling bond he didn’t have with Jace.

“I thought he was going to scold us for the cookies,” he heard Izzy say while closing the door.

He had forgotten actually to scold them.

“He’s always nagging,” she added.

 “He’s a little annoying but he’s nice,” he heard Jace say and it broke his heart to hear this word from his mouth as he didn’t want him to think this way about him.

So Jace found him annoying after everything he had done for him? He couldn’t help feeling betrayed. He was their big brother, of course he had to nag when they were up to some mischiefs. Besides, if he was too annoying it was because he cared too much about him. 

He collapsed on the couch under Church’s amber eyes and wondered if Magnus, Jem or Will or even his classmates had ever found him annoying. Probably. It had been a while since he hadn’t thought about them and summertime had barely begun.

He suddenly wondered where Magnus would sleep now that he shared his room with Jace and frowned, he hadn’t thought about this matter until now. Could he sleep with the lights on and with someone else in the room?

_Annoying_ …if his mom hadn’t asked him to be a good big brother he wouldn’t be so annoying and pushy because at the end of the day he was the one who was scolded if she discovered an empty package of snacks in the bin. Once, he had even been scolded because Jace had a pretty bad scratch on his back. He couldn’t say anything back then, Jace neither, and had just loudly thought with confusion how she could tell with all his scars that the wound was recent. This retort had almost made her pull his ear.

His life wasn’t so great since Jace had come into their life. It wasn’t worse but not better either. He just had more responsibilities and being Izzy’s big brother was already exhausting.

Summer had just begun and he couldn’t wait for it to end. He missed school, Magnus, Jem and his I’m-judging-you stare, and weirdly enough Will and his snotty face. He also couldn’t wait for Hodge’s return, he was somewhere in the Amazonia, taking pictures of colorful birds.

Alec hoped he wouldn’t get lost and would bring back a lot of pictures of his adventures. He also hoped that Magnus was having fun and that his mom had found the shoes she wanted in Italia.

From now on, he decided to stop being so annoying, which he was involuntarily throughout his care for his siblings. He didn’t care about being scolded anymore, in the past 8 years he never had been scolded this much anyway so he was slowly getting used to it and had probably become as troublesome as could be Izzy in his parents’ eyes.

Jace had shaken everything up in a short period of time.

*

Alec had stopped being annoying, however it wasn’t easy. Hence why he was alone at home with his dad who had locked himself in his study, so it was as if he was by himself. He heaved a sigh, even the ants in the grass were boring.

Jace was seeing the child psychologist and Izzy had been allowed to go with him and their mom, only because she had an appointment to the hairdresser. His mom had asked him to go with them as his hair was also getting longer but Alec had stubbornly refused as he had to stay away from Jace in order to not being annoying.

This way, he was all hers.

_It’s not a competition_ , he had to remind himself but for obvious reasons, Jace liked Izzy better, which for him was a disaster. He didn’t know what to do to reverse the situation as he had done everything he could to make him like him.

A fearless ant began to climb his calf, then another, finally he let them reach his green short before removing them with a flick. It was hot outside and he was so bored. He looked up, stared at the target above him, fixed into the tree, before realizing that he could do archery now that Jace was not here.

He quickly stood on his feet and ran towards his father’s study. He perfectly understood why he couldn’t touch his bow without the supervision of his parents since the accident with Magnus but he never really get it concerning Jace who wasn’t scared of arrows or anything related to archery. It was just a useless prevention to not trigger anything, which even Jace found stupid.

It was an umpteenth sacrifice Alec had to make for him, he was used to it. It was annoying but, as the eldest, he had to be selfless.

Breathless, he knocked at the door and after waiting a few seconds opened it quite violently with too much strength and enthusiasm. His dad, who was standing and clearing his desk, looked startled and stared at him with a funny expression before he let out a bad word.

“Knock at the door Alec, you scared me.”

This time he carefully closed the door behind him. “I did, you didn’t hear. Can I have my bow?”

Robert frowned. “I thought you left with them…I’m leaving, I have something to do.”

Alec couldn’t hide his disappointment, he hadn’t touched his bow for ages. “I won’t kill anyone,” he promised.

“Of course you won’t,” retorted his dad with an amused smile before staring at him. “Did you have a fight with Izzy?”

“No.”

“Then, with Jace?”

“No.”

His father raised an eyebrow, not convinced. “It’s unusual for you to not stick around him,” he noted.

Hence why he had to break away in order to not be annoying. He shrugged and his father ruffled his hair, which he hadn’t done for a while. This gesture had become unusual and was only reserved to Jace, so Alec flinched, mostly because a lock of his hair had poked his right eye. The hand of his dad lengthily remained in his hair, Alec didn’t know what kind of face he was making as he stared at his feet.

“If I give you your bow and arrows you promise me to not hurt yourself, Church or a neighbor?”

Alec looked up with a frown, except Magnus he hadn’t hurt anyone else. He wasn’t that bad actually, he was still not accurate but was more and more precise. He hastened to follow his father inside his room and watched him get the bow and arrows that were on top of the closet, out of his reach, even if he stood on a chair.

He enthusiastically grabbed his quiver, tightly hugged it against him, before doing the same with his bow, then he quickly ran downstairs.

“Where’s my thanks? And wear a cap!”

He almost rolled his eyes, he wasn’t like Jace who looked like a tomato since his skin wasn’t used to the sun. And because he had to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunblock, him and Izzy had to do the same. It would bother him anyway.

Alec couldn’t be happier, the feet firmly on the ground, he was already ready to shot his arrow while Church was running after a lizard. He took a deep breath, thought about Robin Hood and Ed-Ed, stared at the target in front of him and the hand of his father suddenly appeared in front of his right eye.

“Dad!” he protested before carefully looking at what he was holding.

His father hurried to put a cap on his head. “Don’t stand in the sun too long, it must be from Magnus,” he said after handing him the postcard. “I have to go.”

With a frown, Alec lengthily stared at it. It was a really nice looking postcard with the illustration of a dragon with tiny words that he could read but which didn’t make any sense: musée de l’illustration. After carefully looking at the picture, he turned the postcard. The blank space wasn’t so blank but still, only three words were written:

_For Alec,_

_Hi!_

That was all.

He opened his mouth and frowned while turning the piece of paper repeatedly in his hands. How did his dad know that it was from Magnus? Despite the missing signature, he could guess it was from him as he was abroad and knew about his love for dragons, besides him no one else could think about him and send him a postcard, if not Hodge.

He was so happy that Magnus had thought about him but disappointed he hadn’t written much. He hoped he had fun where he was and that his parents weren’t taking too much pictures of him. He couldn’t wait to see him. He dropped his quiver next to his bow on the grass and quickly went inside his room to preciously put it away. As usual, he kept his presents together but put Magnus’ presents, when he could, inside his Charmander’s stomach pocket before going back in the garden.

“Church”, he sighed when he saw him in the tree.

As soon as he saw him, the snarly cat hid up in the tree, which made him roll his eyes.

“I won’t help you if you can’t go down.”

Church didn’t seem to care, for now at least. Alec picked up his bow and quiver before getting into position. His first shot was a big failure as his arrow disappeared in the neighbor’s garden, behind the high fence. Shit, thought Alec with a wince without moving an inch from where he was standing. He cared about his arrows of course but given that it wasn’t the first time, he perfectly knew that the neighbors would give it back, either he would find his arrow in the garden the day after, either they would come over to bring it back.

They were quite nice.

Church snarly meowed while staring at him and at the ground. Alec smirked, he was stuck, he knew it. He lengthily stared at the cat who stared back at him, ready to bounce on him as soon as he would come closer. So, Alec didn’t and just sat on the grass with his precious and dear bow.

He was bored, he wasn’t used to be by himself anymore. Yet, he heaved a sigh when he heard his mom’s car, Izzy’s giggles and Church meowing next to him. He glanced at him and smiled. Church was grooming himself while looking at him with a bristly fur, which made him look angry and crazy.

It was only when he heard his mom call him that he realized he still had his bow and arrows. He was pretty sure she would scold him, even if his father had allowed him to do archery. So, he didn’t move and waited for her to come here.

He let out a squeal when Izzy jumped on him, squishing him under her, with two lollipops in her mouth while he was literally grazing the grass thanks to her. Jace who had followed her in the garden silently watched him suffer. He also had two lollipops in his mouth.

“Did you miss us?” she asked while releasing him.

“No,” he growled as he got away from her. He seriously wanted to shot an arrow in her head. 

Jace seemed pretty interested by his archery set that he was staring at for a while. Usually, Alec would have asked him if he wanted to try or play with him right away but given his new resolution, he had to stop being so needy and clingy, so he stayed quiet and left them, when his mom called him again.

“What?”

“Where’s dad?” she asked while emptying the grocery bags.

Alec shrugged and helped her.

“Did Izzy give you a lollipop?”

“No,” he answered with a frown after noticing that her hair was shorter and he realized he hadn’t payed attention to Izzy’s haircut.

His mom narrowed her eyes as she peered at Izzy and Jace through the window of the kitchen. She clicked her tongue.

“Why are they so selfish with food?” she mumbled for herself, which made Alec smile.

He looked at her with surprise when she gave him one.

“You really need a haircut you know, you should have come with us.”

Alec ignored her and before removing the wrapping of his lollipop asked her how Jace was doing.

“He’s fine, he’s better she said…,” she murmured while putting the yogurts in the fridge. “By the way, you need new books, maybe you could go the library tomorrow with him to help him pick books to practice reading, he doesn’t seem to like yours.”

Alec blinked, it meant he was allowed to go by himself there which was a big change as until now he only could go to the park.

“And Izzy?”

His mom looked at him with an amused smile. Right, Izzy didn’t like to read. Perfect, he thought, he would be alone with him. His excitation didn’t last as he remembered he had to stop being annoying, which he would inevitably be when they would be together.

Once, he put the tasty lollipop in his mouth, he told her about Magnus’ postcard. She listened attentively with a frown, as she was tidying up the fridge, which was already full.

“Show me,” she asked with a wince.

Alec turned around to walk away and almost bumped into Jace who was staring at him.

He followed him into his room while keeping a safe distance between them. Alec frowned and looked behind him.

“What’s wrong?”

Jace didn’t answer and kept following him in silence. Once in their room, Alec showed him what Magnus had sent him with a smug face that Jace kept staring at with his expressionless eyes.

“It’s from your best friend?”

Alec nodded.

“Your best friend who loves cuddles when he’s having nightmares?”

Alec winced, maybe he shouldn’t have said that as it was unofficial. He attentively looked at his face, the words _best friend_ seemed to fascinate him. After all, he didn’t know what it was like to have friends. He looked so sad and lost in his thoughts about not having friends that Alec couldn’t help it and hugged him.

Jace suspiciously stared at him and Alec felt incredibly stupid. He couldn’t explain why he liked to hug him this much but just did it when he felt like he really needed one.

No wonder why Jace thought he was annoying, Alec perfectly could understand.

*

The day after, Jace seemed confused and peered at Alec, trying to figure out why he had changed his behavior towards him. If Alec had decided to stop being clingy, never he would have expected him to be.

Besides staring at him and observing his every gesture, Jace began to follow him, which highly confused Alec, especially when Jace followed him in the bathroom. Like Magnus a long time ago.

Inwardly, it made him so happy that he wanted to die. He couldn’t control the beats of his heart when Jace automatically grabbed his hand to go to the library.

Alec was stupidly smiling, Jace often made him stupidly smile.

Izzy wanted to go with them, until she understood where they were going. She didn’t like libraries or reading, so she asked them to pick a nice book for her that either Alec, their mom or their dad could read to her.

So they had to find a book not too boring with a princess, a good looking prince and fights.

Jace grumpily looked around when they were outside after the numerous recommendations of their mom, which had made Alec sigh and roll his eyes. It was a beautiful day: sunny and hot, so after making sure that Jace’s face was protected and that he wouldn’t get sunburned, he took the lead.

He squeezed his hand and walked carefully, afraid to walk too fast for him.

“Are you mad at me?” Jace suddenly asked.

Alec blinked and almost bumped into a pole, which made Jace smile in this weird looking smile that looked like a wince and a smirk.

“No!”

Of course, he wasn’t mad.

“It’s because I don’t want to be annoying,” he admitted. “If I was mad I wouldn’t hold your hand.”

Jace seemed to reflect on this. “Yes but your nice so it’s okay.”

“But I don’t want to be annoying.”

The worst besides hearing that he was nice but annoying, was Jace’s face who seemed to say that he couldn’t help it. Well, if he was fine with it…Alec guessed that if Jace thought he was nice, which was great, it was fine.

They could have taken a short cut through the park to reach the library faster but there were ducks, and Jace was scared of them, this way Alec was able to hold his hand a little longer. He stupidly smiled while Jace frowned, thinking he was mocking him. Jace didn’t have any trauma related to ducks before, he had just seen how scary and mean they could be during a family outing at the park.

It had scarred him for life.

He was okay with birds, just ducks scared the shits out of him. He was also uneasy around people and loud places, but Alec’s mom had said that it would improve with time, yet for now, Alec didn’t hesitate to cross the street when there were too much people out there, blocking their way.

People often looked at them, especially at Jace who stood up among them as he was as blond as they all were black-haired. The little golden boy shone too bright among them. Izzy often proudly claimed that he was adopted when she noticed people’s stare at restaurants or during family outings.

Jace was slowly getting used to many things but still needed light to sleep and was still scared of being locked up again in a closet, which was pretty normal.

They were walking in silence, until Jace asked him something.

“Do you think I’ll have friends?”

Alec glanced at him and this time, Jace, who was staring at him, almost bumped into a pole. He quickly pulled his arm with a little smile and walked faster.

“Yes, everyone has friends, even me.”

Jace seemed pretty anxious to not have friends at all, this word seemed to obsess him more than it should.

“So you think I’ll have friends someday?” he asked, full of hope.

“I can be your friend if you want.”

“But you’re my brother,” he protested with a frown.

“I can be your brother and your friend.”

“Are you allowed to be both?” Jace suspiciously asked. He didn’ look that happy to have him as a friend.

“I think,” Alec mumbled, hoping that Magnus would be fine with it.

It would be fine, Jace was his brother so he could be friend with him, Magnus had no reason to feel threaten by him, right? He could even be his best friend, if he wanted but Alec didn’t really know if having two best friends was a good thing or even allowed. He felt uncomfortable with this idea as he wouldn’t like Magnus to have another best friend.

“Okay,” said lightly Jace who had just accepted him as his friend.

Alec smiled, they were friends now. He felt incredibly happy. Jace didn’t seem to get why he was smiling and kept staring at him in a weird way.

Luckily for them, they reached safely the library where there wasn’t a lot of people. Jace seemed pretty amazed but nervous at the same time at the sight of all these books. Alec excitedly took him upstairs, in the children and history books section.

As Jace still didn’t know how to read, he read for him the titles of the books he was interesting in while looking for Izzy’s one and some for himself. He didn’t notice right away that Jem was here, sitting in a red beanbag chair, looking at them with his usual stare.

Jace nudged him, so Alec looked up from his book and followed his stare. Jem smiled and Alec’s eyes widened.

None of them moved, if not Jace who stared back at him, wondering why this boy was looking at them.

When he walked towards him, Jace reluctantly followed him and looked as suspicious as could be Church.

“You’re already back?”

Jem nodded and closed the book he was reading: _if girls are weird so are you_. Alec’s lips twitched.

“I want to understand girls better,” Jem explained, the eyes on Jace who was standing behind Alec.

“It’s Jace,” he introduced him without telling him precisely who he was.

Jem looked back at him with curiosity but didn’t dare to ask him who he was. Jem, as involuntarily mean as he could be sometimes, was polite. Jace had shut up like a clam and remained silent and weirdly awkward the whole time with his book on his lap that he couldn’t read without Alec’s help.

Yet, Jem tried to talk to him but Jace ignored him and silently looked at him in a not discreet way. As confused and troubled as he was by his behavior, Jem looked at Alec with a smirk.

“You ignored me like this before.”

Alec blinked and hoped Jace hadn’t heard him. “He’s not ignoring you, he’s shy,” he lied which made Jace look at him in a silent protest.

“So you really ignored me,” he noted before sighing and opening his book.

“Why do you want to understand girls?” he hastened to ask.

“Tessa,” he simply answered.

“She’s hard to understand?”

Jem shrugged and looked up at Jace who was still staring at him. Alec, who was in the middle, felt slightly uncomfortable with their staring contest. He discreetly nudged Jace who glared at him.

“Why are you staring at me?” asked Jem with narrowed eyes.

Jace didn’t answer.

Alec opened the mouth to say that he liked observing people but Jem was already carrying on.

“Did you lose your tongue?”

Jace frowned, leaned over his book on his lap to stare at him properly and stuck his tongue out to show him he still had it.

Alec’s wince became a smile. “He’s shy,” he said again to explain his behavior while making Jace understand that he could stop showing his tongue.

“You don’t want to talk then.”

Jace shook his head and they continued to communicate this way until Jem’s caretaker appeared to take him home. He waved at them to say goodbye and Jace stuck his tongue out.

“Jace!”

Jem narrowed his eyes, not pleased with his so called shy behavior. Alec sheepishly smiled and waved back at him.

“You can’t do that.”

“I can and I just did,” retorted Jace the little devil.

Alec lengthily stared at him. He was becoming cheekier and more like Izzy, as if he was her lost twin.

“Maybe but if you can do something it doesn’t mean that you have to do it because you can,” scolded him Alec.

Jace loudly thought that he was annoying so, dejected, Alec sighed and stood up, ready to go home. His anger melted away as soon as Jace held his hand.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Jem didn’t look mad. He must think that you’re a brat.”

“What’s a brat?” Jace asked as they were going towards the librarian’s desk.

“Someone’s troublesome,” he said. He could have said annoying but it would have meant that he was also a brat.

“I’m troublesome?”

Alec took his time to answer. “Not as much as Izzy,” he mumbled.

“So she’s a brat?”

“The queen of brats.”

Jace slightly smiled. “I want to be the king of brats then.”

“What? No, you can’t, it’s not a good thing.”

“You too you’re a brat,” he playfully said with a straight face.

Jace was better at talking, so much better that Alec felt concerned. He sincerely hoped that he wouldn’t become the king of brats.

*

After seeing several times Jem during the holidays, in the park or in the library, Alec wondered if he had guessed who Jace was as each time they had seen each other, Jace had been with him. However, never Jem had asked and never Alec had told anything about it.

He had received several postcards from Magnus with the same words: _For Alec, Hi !_ It highly amused his mom and made Jace envious. Obviously, Maryse had told Hodge about it, hence why he had written a special note for him in the postcard for the family. A pretty one with colorful birds.

“But I don’t know him,” retorted Jace.

“He knows you, Hodge knows everything,” whispered Izzy.

“He knows that I’m a brat?”

“Jace you’re not a brat,” sighed their mom with a soft pat on his head. “But he probably knows that with Izzy you have eaten an entire box of candy.”

Izzy and Jace gasped while Maryse stared at them with a frightening seriousness. Alec stayed in the kitchen, guilty as well, as he had taken advantage of their theft by eating one candy. His dad who called him upstairs in his study, saved him from trouble. Yet, he still felt uneasy and hoped to have done nothing worthy of a scolding.

His dad was petting Church that he was holding like a baby before clearing his throat and straightening up in his leathered and very comfortable chair where Alec loved to sit when he wasn’t here.

“You may sit,” he seriously said.

Church narrowed his eyes and licked his chops on Robert’s lap. Alec sat in the chair he had never seen before but that smelled quite bad with a mixture of expensiveness, leather and paint, but it was highly comfortable for his behind.

“I hope you have a clear conscience.”

His father seemed to be amused by something but it only made Alec frown, he didn’t want to play. His dad was trying to act as if they were close whereas they had never been so distant.

Robert sighed. “You’re doing a great job with Jace,” he stated. “And with Izzy, your mom and I perfectly know that it’s not easy, but you’re doing great.”

Alec suspiciously narrowed his eyes. What was going on? Did he really do a good job by showing Jace how to be normal and what it was like to have a normal life? He was becoming the king of brats.

Alec wasn’t responsible, not really.

His eyes widened when he saw his dad pulled out cash from the inside pocket of his black jacket. He didn’t move when he held the money out to him.

“It’s for you.”

Alec finally got up, hesitantly held out his hand, touched the bills that he slowly took while glancing at his dad who had expected another reaction. He had $50 in his hand, it was a lot of money.

“Spend it on yourself or keep it in your piggy bank, but it’s for you, not for Izzy or Jace, for you,” he said again while looking at him straight in the eyes.

Alec’s hand tightly squeezed the bills. “Why?”

“Because it’s yours.”

“No why do you give me money?”

“Because you did a great job until now and that it’s a good way to reward you.”

Alec couldn’t help being wary, it was fishy.

“I’ll have money each time I’m doing a great job?”

His dad snorted. “No otherwise I’ll run out of cash.”

Alec didn’t often hear him tell him that he was doing great, it made him feel good about himself, it even put a smile on his heart.

“But I don’t have a piggy bank,” he realized with a frown.

“I’ll get you one.”

“Not a pig, I want something cooler.”

His dad smiled. “It’s a deal.”

Alec grinned and walked away with his small fortune when he noticed that he had forgotten something. He opened again the door of the study and saw his dad cuddling up Church who was purring.

“Thank you,” he said before closing the door for good.

Since when Church and dad are so lovey-dovey? he wondered with confusion.

*

Lying on the floor and looking at the ceiling like a soulless star, Jace took a deep breath. His teacher had just left. Alec hastened to jump on the couch and grinned when Izzy jumped on Jace who let out a squeal.

Jace had made a lot of progress in the last few weeks, he knew how to read and write despite still mixing some letters like b and v or c and s. His teacher still wished he would speak more but Jace seemed to select the people whom he could speak to comfortably.

“Hey!” Alec exclaimed when he saw that they were fighting like two little tigers.

He breathed in with wide eyes when Izzy kicked Jace in the stomach before grabbing her but Jace had time to pull her hair.

“Stop it!”

As close as Izzy and Jace could be thanks to their similarities, given that they were alike in many aspects, they could be pretty violent towards each other in a very frightening way. Alec collapsed after Jace had kicked him in his lower part to storm on Izzy with a battle cry.

_Dad should have given me more money,_ he thought, doubled over in pain. He let out a grunt and winced when he heard his mom yelling at them for the mess.

“He kicked me in the balls,” he whined when she asked him what was going on.

She was already putting them in a time-out, yelling as loudly as them. The worst was that they were still trying to hurt each other by swirling their arms hoping to reach and scratch the other with yelps.

Alec remained on the floor, it didn’t hurt anymore, but just in case he was still holding his crotch with a frown. He looked up and sat to see that Jace and Izzy, despite being against different walls, were glaring at each other and doing offensive gesture like putting their middle fingers up.

I’m out of here, he thought while going in his room and while his mom was asking why they were fighting a few seconds ago. Actually, the lower part of his anatomy still hurt when he walked so he collapsed in his bed, cursing Jace and Izzy for being so stupid.

He genuinely wondered how they could be so impulsive and violent when most of the time they were as thick as thieves. Izzy wasn’t like this before, probably because he wasn’t like Jace. She wasn’t more violent but more savage and mischievous since Jace was here. Unless she had always been like this and he had just awaken this side of her.

“I’m fine,” he said when he saw his mom with an ice pack before burying his head in his pillow. “Why are they so stupid?” he mumbled.

“They don’t even know why they were fighting, there’s someone who wants to talk to you,” she said while handing him the phone.

Alec frowned and straightened up. “Hello?”

His mom stayed in his room waiting for his reaction. Alec really thought that it was Hodge so he became a little overwhelmed and excited at the sound of Magnus’ voice. He blinked and grinned, and once she had seen his smile, his mom left.

“Did you receive my postcards?” Magnus asked, as excited ad him.

“Yes but you didn’t write anything.”

Magnus huffed and Alec’s grin widened, he had really missed him. He snorted and smiled a lot upon hearing Magnus’ adventures -his shopping adventures- in different countries where his parents had spent a lot of money.

“My dad really missed his carps,” he casually added before asking how Church was doing.

Since the grumpy cat was right by him on his bed, Alec put the phone under his nose. Church made a backward movement with his head and kicked it with his right paw.

“He said hi,” Alec translated.

“And you what did you do? Come over Saturday,” he enthusiastically said.

Alec nodded and put this date in the back of his mind. Then, he took a deep breath to tell him about Jace because he had a lot of things to say. So, he talked, a lot, and entirely about Jace. Jace, Jace, Jace, Jace, Jace, Jace, Jace because Jace did this and that. He also talked about Izzy and Jem, and finally stopped to catch his breath.

He frowned when he didn’t hear anything, not even Magnus’ breath, there was only a stony silence on the other side. As if talking about Jace had cast a chill over their reunion.

“Magnus?”

“Who’s Jace?” he abruptly asked, like would have done a prince to a mere commoner.

Alec pursed his lips, he always assumed that everyone knew who Jace was.

“My brother, we’ve adopted him,” he said as if he was a poor kitten they had found outside. “He’s nice…but he has a difficult past,” he added before shyly adding: “Like you.”

Magnus humphed.

“I also had to teach him a lot of things.”

“Why?”  

“Because he knew nothing.”

“I knew a lot of things,” vehemently protested Magnus. “I just didn’t know how to speak English!”

“Whatever,” Alec mumbled before concluding with: “Jace is cute, nice, I mean, he’s nice.”

“You sound weird, you know.”

Maybe because he was still holding his crotch just in case it would hurt again but Magnus didn’t have to know.

“I’ll ask my mom for Saturday.”

“Okay, we’ll have lots of fun,” promised cheerfully Magnus before hanging up.

He was the one who sounded weird, pondered Alec with worry.

*

Jace was staring at him without blinking and Alec couldn’t help feeling guilty as if he was abandoning a puppy in the street whereas he was only going to Magnus’ place to have fun. Only for the afternoon as he wasn’t allowed to sleep over as Jace couldn’t be left alone, not right now, during the night.

Alec had insisted, Jace could sleep with Izzy or even with his parents but his mom had turned a deaf hear. So, Alec wouldn’t sleep with Magnus tonight and he was bitter about the situation.

Jace’s eyes widened when he saw the house and the garden that was always splendid in summer.

“He’s a prince?”

Maryse snorted. “Jace maybe you should stop reading Izzy’s books.”

Alec knew Magnus wished to be a prince of a lost kingdom and then to become a pirate and wander the sea, but on a yacht, of course. Magnus wouldn’t be any other pirate.

Jace looked up at Maryse. “Maryse what’s that?” he asked while pointing the finger at a weird and scary statue in the middle of the huge garden.

“It protects the carps’ cemetery,” Alec explained with narrowed eyes.

“Carps? They don’t eat them?”

Alec shrugged and walked in the alley before reaching the marbled stairs and the fancy door. He only rang the bell once and the door opened on a grinning Magnus who tightly hugged him. They stupidly hopped around, hugging each other and spinning around. They brightly smiled at each other and the magic of the moment went down when Jace sneezed behind them.

Magnus looked at him up and down and Jace naturally tensed up before retreating behind Maryse’s legs with narrowed eyes. Alec frowned before introducing him.

“It’s Jace.”

Magnus could tell, they kept staring at each other in a stupid staring contest that Maryse interrupted with her hand.

“How are you doing Magnus? Your parents are inside I guess.”

He nodded and stared back at Jace.

“You’re staying here too?”

“No, he has to see the psychologist so he won’t stay.”

Alec didn’t expect his mom to turn around with wide eyes and pursed lips. “Alec,” she whispered. “Don’t say that to people they don’t have to know.”

Magnus blinked and Alec sheepishly winced while Jace was staring with amazement at the fountain and at the carps.

“Maryse,” greeted her Mrs. Bane with a wide grin.

She was wearing really pretty shoes, she seemed to have found what she was looking for in Italy.

“Don’t jump in,” warned Magnus when he saw how near the water was Jace.

Alec quickly grabbed his arm, as he didn’t know how to swim, although the water wasn’t deep. Jace quickly went to hide behind him when Magnus came closer. Yet, Alec had told him that Magnus was really nice and like him was adopted but he was still acting like a sissy.

Magnus kept staring at Jace, who despite hiding behind Alec, stared back at him as well. They both had this intense eye while gazing at things or people.

Alec didn’t know what to do with himself nor what he could say to lighten the mood. For a split second, Magnus glanced at him then he became extremely welcoming, smiley and pleasant with Jace. He introduced him the carps, which seemed to interest Jace who was now looking at them.

Alec slightly smiled, extremely proud of them.

 “Are you going to eat them?”

Magnus blinked and looked surprised, Alec had told him that Jace wasn’t talkative and would probably not speak to him at all. His yellowish green eyes gazed into Jace’s golden ones.

“No.”

Jace let out a disappointed sigh. “Why?”

“My dad doesn’t want us to even touch them.”

“But you still want to eat them?”

“What do you mean by still?” asked Magnus with confusion while gazing at Alec with a look of _what’s wrong with him_? written all over his face.

Alec shrugged and discreetly pinched Jace’s arm. He was testing Magnus, he often did that with people he didn’t know and to whom he dared to talk.

But he ignored Alec’s pinch. “I love eating fishes.”

Magnus narrowed his eyes in a displeased way and Alec seriously thought he was going to say something very mean to him but thankfully, his mom and Mrs. Bane came towards them. Maybe Alec should have told him beforehand that Jace was obsessed with food and could eat anything.

Jace didn’t seem to be aware of having offended Magnus, which explained the way he was looking at him and Magnus’ stare could be disturbing.

“You have cat’s eyes,” Jace blurted out while staring into his eyes.

Magnus seemed to have given up and let Alec do the home tour in his behalf.

“I think it was a compliment,” Alec whispered in his ear.

Magnus looked surprised. “Really?”

Alec nodded, Jace just didn’t know how to say things and which tone to use. He could speak angrily whereas he wasn’t angry at all for example.

“Why are you talking about me?” he asked with a frown.

“Because Alec likes to speak about you,” answered Magnus with a glance.

Alec sheepishly smiled while Jace automatically moved closer.

“Why do you like to speak about him?” he asked with an intensive gaze.

“There’s a lot of things to say about you,” he managed to whisper, feeling extremely shy and hot.

They were still in the middle of the stairs and didn’t have time to go upstairs to see Magnus’ room as Maryse was calling him. Jace stared at them and then downstairs before scowling.

“Jace!” Alec winced when he saw him stick out his tongue at Magnus before rushing downstairs.

Magnus didn’t react and just wearily watched him leave.

“Why he doesn’t call your mom mom?” he asked after hearing Jace call Alec’s mom Maryse.

Alec shrugged and sat down on his favorite stair, Magnus did the same. They were so close that their legs, hips and arms touched. It actually happened once that Jace had called Maryse mom but accidently and it seemed to have afraid him to do it again. Due to hear Izzy and Alec caller her that way, he had automatically done the same and had immediately apologized, even if Maryse had encouraged him to do so.

Jace didn’t seem ready yet, despite having no memories of his own mom. Alec had heard his dad tell him that once Hodge would be back, he would show him some pictures of his dad as Hodge kept everything.

Lost in his thoughts about Jace, Alec flinched when Magnus tickled his side and almost fell in the stairs when he tickled him harder.

“If my mom asks you if I speak in my sleep, say no,” Magnus whispered when she came closer to see what they were doing.

Alec, who was protecting his stomach from his hands in a huddle position, frowned. “Why?”

“She wants me to see a psychologist.”

“Don’t play in the stairs,” Mrs. Bane said while going in the kitchen.

They didn’t move.

Alec began to feel concerned. “You know, they’re nice and not scary, Jace says that they only make you talk about you and give advices.”

Magnus still looked worried, he didn’t want to go so Alec promised him to lie. His face lightened up and his beautiful eyes narrowed in a pleased way. He stood up and rushed downstairs before waiting for him while Alec was wondering what he could have said in his sleep to worry his parents, because Magnus said a lot of worrying things in his sleep. He mostly talked in Indonesian so he couldn’t understand but sometimes he spoke in English.

Alec had heard him several times begging someone in his nightmares, like _don’t drown me_ or _don’t hurt me_. He sincerely hoped that it was only nightmares, given his experience with Jace.

He quickly joined him outside, near the pool where Mrs. Bane was showing him a pretty and big lizard she had caught in a bucket. He waited for her to sunbathe in her sun lounger, a few meters away from the pool, where she couldn’t be splashed with water, before asking something important to Magnus.

He lengthily stared at his best friend. Magnus was preparing the water guns with a grin while glancing at him with mischief.

Alec took a deep breath. “Magnus…your nightmares, they’re only nightmares, right?”

“What?” he said before spraying him with water.

“Your nightmares are only nightmares, right?” he asked again, thinking back about the scary woman.

Magnus stared at him and seemed to hesitate to answer. “Mom says that it’s not normal to always have the same dreams or nightmares.”

Then, he sprayed water in Alec’s face and laughed. “In your face!”

Alec glared at him and quickly grabbed a water gun to do the same and even worse to him, but Magnus was much quicker and cunning, like a fox. After an endless battle and several falls into the pool, they decided to take a dip in.

Magnus was under water while Alec was watching him. He looked like a fish, an exotic fish with gold scales and was much more fascinating that the koi carps of Mr. Bane. He straightened up when Mrs. Bane came towards him with a smile. He couldn’t see her eyes with her huge pair of sunglasses.

She sat next to him and watched Magnus wading. Alec glanced at her, perfectly knowing what she wanted and effectively she got straight to the point.

“You know that Magnus is having those weird nightmares, right?”

Alec avoided staring at her face, ready to lie. “Sometimes yes, not all the time,” he quickly added when he saw Magnus in the middle of the pool, looking at them with narrowed eyes.

Magnus rolled his eyes and swam in their direction while Mrs. Bane quickly asked him if he had ever heard him speak in his sleep.

“It’s very important Alec,” she said while removing her sunglasses.

Her eyes were so dark that he got lost into them. Alec was a bad liar usually so he didn’t really know how he managed to lie to her so well without messing up.

“I don’t know, I’m asleep so I can’t tell.”

She smiled and her gaze became more intense. “You wouldn’t lie to me, do you?”

He could only freeze and tensed up while Magnus pulled his leg to prevent his mom from asking more questions about him.

“Well done sweetie, you’re lucky to have a friend like Alec but you’ll still have to go to the psychologist very soon.”

Alec wanted to disappear under water when he saw how dejected Magnus looked like. “I did my best,” he managed to say.

Then, Magnus tragically sank with an eye roll that made him snort.

“It’ll be fine, Jace said that it wasn’t that awful,” he said again to make him feel better.

But Magnus was not having it and dragged him under water as well to make him play sharks with him.

*

Alec was frustrated and grumpy, more than usual.

Magnus was sulking and mad at him because whenever they were together he couldn’t stop speaking about Jace. So, besides feeling sorry, he now felt guilty for spoiling their moments together. No wonder, his best friend felt like he had replaced him by Jace if he always talked about him.

“Get back to your new best friend,” he had snarled earlier when Alec was leaving his house for his first judo class of the year.

“You’re my best friend!” Alec had vehemently protested but Magnus had already closed the door and as he was late for his class, his mom was pulling him towards the car.

“Ready to win against Preston?” asked Maryse when they went inside the building.

Alec almost let out a whimper, he didn’t want to see his rat face, his day was already horrible, so he didn’t need him to worsen everything.

“No, I’ll never win against him,” he mumbled while looking at his feet. “Because I suck.”

His mom raised her eyebrows and got into the elevator.

“He said that you sucked?”

He always did but Alec didn’t really pay attention to what he said.

“You don’t suck Alec, show him what you’re made of.”

“I’m trying,” he mumbled.

He just couldn’t beat him. He wasn’t that bad at judo and was even pretty good, he just never had managed to win against Preston who was the best. Yet, he did everything that he needed to do to win against him but his technique was obviously not perfect despite what him mom and the instructor were telling him.

He always did his best but it was never enough.

“Alec, if you beat him, you no longer will have these judo classes,” she promised him when they arrived on the second floor.

Alec’s eyes widened and he looked up. “Really?”

She nodded. “You don’t like it and I don’t want to hear Izzy complain like before to do something aside ballet.”

“You’re not lying?”

“I never lied,” she lied. “Hurry up and get changed.”

Alec was going to go in the locker room where he could here giggles and yelps but she strongly grabbed his arm.

“To each problem its solution there’s always something that you can do,” she murmured. “You have a perfect form and technique, you just have to adapt and don’t be scared to hurt him.”

Alec frowned and stared at her, slightly confused. “You really want me to win against him this much?”

She pursed her lips in a poor attempt to not smile.

“It stressed me out to see you struggling and having a hard time because of him when you are much better.”

“I’ll do my best,” he promised.

“You always do your best but maybe this time you can surpass yourself.”

While going inside the locker room to get changed, he wondered if she hated Preston as much as he did. He didn’t know if he could surpass himself but after hearing that if he won against Preston he would no longer have to come back here, he felt motivated and ready to crush him, like himself had done before the holidays.

Preston was here, laughing with his friends because unlike him, he had made friends in this place. Alec genuinely wondered whether he was jealous of him or hated him for the good reasons and not for being better than him.

He didn’t know, maybe he should ask Hodge again about feelings and things like that.

“I’m a winner and he’s a looser,” he heard when he sat on the bench.

Alec slowly looked up to see that Preston was staring at him with a mocking face and his throat tightened. He didn’t want to fight back or to prove him wrong, he just wanted to go home and to never come here ever again, but for this he had to win against him.

It was almost impossible, completely impossible for Alec but not for his mom who believed in him. Both he and Preston had the same strength and same built so there was always a tie between them at first and then Preston always got the upper hand.

He waited for everyone to go first before leaving the locker room, he tightened his belt as he walked on the tatami mat and looked up. For once, his mom didn’t do anything to embarrass him and only smiled from the platform.

He did his best to not smile when he saw the way she was looking at Preston and at his mom.

The judo instructor came in, he looked like a bear, a huge and hairy bear who loudly spoke but who was incredibly nice. Many mothers liked him and widely smiled at him, except his own mom who was looking at her phone, ready to take some pictures. Alec discreetly moved closer to another boy to hide behind him.

He breathed out when he got paired right away with Preston, usually it was always at the end of the two hours. He reluctantly stood up to go right by him while everyone else got paired up.

Preston scowled when Alec came closer, not happy to see him this close. They glared at each other and didn’t greet each other either with a bow as they were supposed to do.

“Ready to lose loser?”

He was incredibly stupid so Alec didn’t really feel hurt and only stared at him in a very bored way. Suddenly, Preston grabbed his judogi, ready to take him down.

All the moms that were on the platform were suddenly yelling, to cheer their children on. Alec grabbed him back and tried to make him lose his balance like always but Preston was like a rock and didn’t move an inch. He desperately attempted to trip him up while pulling on his judogi but Preston quickly regained his balance, looking furious, before doing the same.

“You can do it Alec,” nonchalantly said Michael aka The Bear when he walked past them to check on them. “Don’t be scared to hurt him.”

Alec winced when Preston pinched his arm and crushed his foot with a smirk and a red face, which made his blue eyes kind of googly. He wasn’t scared to hurt him, not really but didn’t want to go beyond the technique he had learned and which worked against the others.

Alec didn’t let go.

He clenched his jaws when Preston’s face came closer and thought about his mother’s promise. If he beat him, he’ll no longer see his rat face.

He pulled harder on his judogi and made him trip up on his left before pulling harder to pin him. His left elbow inadvertently hit his nose, which definitely made him lose his balance and Alec managed to push him on the ground before pinning him with his weight.

That was all, winning against Preston had been surprisingly easy. Until he noticed his bloody nose and how angry he looked like. Preston whined and pushed him away to hold his nose.

He was bleeding a lot.

Preston’s mom and The Bear rushed towards them and Alec nervously looked at his mom who was also coming, walking on the tatami mat with her high heels. Around them, all the pairs had stopped fighting and were watching them in a silent amazement.

It was the first accident, the first time they were seeing blood and a hysteric mother yelling at Alec and at the instructor for not having prevented this kind of things to happen.

“It’s a judo class not ballet,” dryly said Maryse with cold eyes before putting a reassuring hand on Alec’s hair.

Alec looked up and she smiled at him. She looked so proud of him that he smiled back.

“It happens,” could only explain the instructor. “It’s an accident.”

With his elbow, Alec had broken Preston’s nose. A bloody mess on his face that worried and thrilled Alec at the same time. His victory was bitter though, as his mom had to pay for the medical fees.

“Or I’ll report it,” hissed Preston’s mom which earned her the contempt and disgust from Maryse while the instructor tried to calm her down.

The class ended earlier, everyone left and their moms agreed to a settlement, under Alec’s dismay.

“You’ll always meet people like that,” she explained while they were going back to the car.

“It’ll be expensive,” he mumbled, feeling more and more sorry to have broken his nose.

He realized that he hadn’t even apologized. He was pretty sure that Preston wouldn’t have accepted them anyways, but still. He frowned when she suddenly slid her arm around his neck to hug him.

“I’m proud of you.”

Alec smiled. _I did it_. Even the instructor was proud of him, too bad he would never come back but leaving with a victory felt great. He couldn’t wait to tell what had happened to Jace and Magnus, before remembering that Magnus was mad at him.

Never again, he would see Preston’s rat face. He grinned. He’ll think about Magnus later.

*

Jace looked sick and Izzy was strangely quiet. They didn’t want to go to school, especially Jace since Izzy had told him that school could be worse that a closet. She had been scolded pretty badly when they dad had heard her say that.

Also, Jace wasn’t ready to go to school, not mentally at least, but despite what Maryse and Robert had told him he had to otherwise it would be harder for him to blend in his class. He wouldn’t be alone anyways, they had asked Mrs. Herondale to put him in the same class as Izzy.

This way, they would suffer together.

Alec tried to make him feel better but Jace looked genuinely afraid.

“I don’t want to go,” he mumbled in the car.

Robert sighed and winced, feeling sorry for him. “Sorry Jace but every kid has to go to school.”

Alec wondered if Mrs. Herondale would really put him and Magnus in the same class as he had asked his parents to ask that from her when they had seen her for Jace. He breathed out, hoping that this year would be better that all the previous ones.

Izzy was looking at her shoes with a blank stare, which made Alec’s smile and pinched her cheek. She frowned and glanced at him.

“When are the next holidays?” she asked.

Jace looked up, interested.

“It’s your first day,” stated Robert while parking behind the school.

Jace straightened up at the sight of all these cars and children and tensed up.

“Izzy you’ll take care of Jace,” reminded her their dad.

“Who’ll take care of me?” she asked.

“I’ll try,” said Jace with a glance towards Alec.

They would play in the same playground during recesses so Alec wouldn’t be too far if needed.

Seeing them so depressed, made Alec felt the same. They all walked extremely slowly towards the school’s gates. Magnus was already here with Jem, Will and some other classmates. They were having fun so Alec didn’t come to them, as his dad had to leave for work.

“It’ll be fine,” he said to reassure them, with an intensive glance for Alec who nodded.

He ruffled their hair, one by one, which made Izzy squeal. “My hair!”

“Magnus is here,” Jace noted while showing him with his finger.

“I know,” Alec whispered after lowering his arm.

“Why do you whisper?”

“Magnus!” yelled Izzy before waving her arms and bouncing.

Alec felt his cheeks becoming hot and wanted to disappear when everyone turned around.

“Why are you red?” asked Jace.

As red as a poppy, Alec quickly grabbed Izzy’s school bag to immobilize her. She glared at him and grinned when she saw that Magnus was coming closer, while Will and Jem stayed with Tessa.

Jace stared at him but this time didn’t hide behind Alec.

Magnus had a new schoolbag and a new haircut. Alec sheepishly smiled at him but Magnus didn’t smile back, unlike his eyes and his dimples when he pursed his lips. He then grinned before glancing at Jace who was still staring at him.

“I asked my parents if they could ask the harpy to put us together in the same class.”

Izzy sighed and fidgeted as Alec was still holding her bag.

“What’s a harpy?” asked Jace with a frown.

Magnus showed him.

“Ah.”

Mrs. Herondale looked as scary as ever, especially next to Mrs. Fear. Alec hoped Izzy and Jace wouldn’t have her as a teacher.

“Why do they look so scary?”

Alec shrugged and exchanged a glance with Magnus. They were in the same class, which didn’t happen since kindergarten and Izzy and Jace didn’t have the scariest teacher. All in all, this year wouldn’t be that bad.

Yet, before going inside his own class with Magnus, he stared with worry at his siblings. Izzy and Jace were holding hands and Alec didn’t know what happened but they were already getting scolding by their school teacher.

They were indeed getting along too well.

*

Everything was going smoothly for once. Izzy was taking good care of Jace at school and he was doing as well as he could. He had even begun his musical theory course, given how interested he was in music.

They all had thought at first that if he was watching Izzy dancing in her room or in the living room, it was because he liked ballet or something like that whereas he only watched her to listen more closely at the music.

Jace had never seemed so happy before.

Their mom neither, she was proudly covering him with a white sheet for his first trick and treat. Jace was a phantom, Izzy a pumpkin princess and Alec was Peter Pan.

“Smile,” she asked them before taking a picture.

“You won’t see my smile,” noted Jace under his costume.

Izzy snorted and raised her pumpkin bucket for the second picture.

Like usual, their mom told them that they had to be careful while wandering the neighborhood and to not speak to strangers.

“Stay with Alec, hold his hand,” she firmly said to Jace while Alec was making sure he wouldn’t let go by tightly holding it.

Still, the first thing he did once outside was running after Izzy after pinching Alec’s hand to make him release his hand.  

_I knew it._

Like each year, Alec was running after Izzy and now after Jace to catch them, which highly amused them. But like each year, Magnus wasn’t far and caught Izzy for him, but he accidently made Jace trip and winced.

Alec ran towards him, amazed by his costume. It was always the same theme: pirate, but this year he was Captain Hook.

“Oooh,” Izzy said when she saw his costume before spinning around to show him hers.

Jace had straightened up and was looking at Magnus’ bucket, which wasn’t empty.

“Jace,” Alec said.

“Don’t mind my mom, she’s in the white car,” mumbled Magnus.

It explained why a white fancy car was following them then. From time to time, Alec could see a flash.

“Why do you have so many candies already?” Alec asked.

Magnus shrugged, he only went to one house and the old woman he had met had given him a lot of them. As Izzy and Jace were intensively staring at him, Magnus gave them some.

“You didn’t have to,” Alec whispered.

Magnus smiled and took his hand while Izzy was taking Jace to the closest house. Alec glanced at their hands and thought back about what his dad had said a few weeks ago. He and Magnus were too old to hold hands and that they had to stop. Alec could with Izzy and Jace because they were his siblings and were younger than him.

Still, Alec loved to hold Magnus’ hand.

Later, Izzy and Magnus teached Jace how to properly smiled in order to have more candies. They gave up with Alec who was unable to smile on command.

“I’ll give you my candies,” sighed Magnus while Jace didn’t understand why he had to smile when he was a phantom.

Alec didn’t get it either but it would be helpful in a near future.

“I have more candies than you,” Jace said.

Alec stared at his bucket and narrowed his eyes. “Because you stole them from me when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

“So you were looking at me?”

“I’m always looking at you,” Alec grumpily said while Magnus was filling his pumpkin bucket with his generosity. “Don’t steal Izzy’s candies,” he warned him.

“I’ll try.”

A few seconds later, Alec saw him pick a full hand of candies from her bucket, which ended in a tigers fight.

“I’m so happy to not have siblings,” Magnus said while eating a tasty chocolate that he shared with Alec, sitting on the sidewalk.

Alec nodded, luckily he wouldn’t have any more siblings, right? Two were already enough.

*

During Jace’s birthday in January, they all discovered that he celebrated it with his abductor.

“I knew it was a special day because he opened the closet for me.”

He just opened it, Jace didn’t have the right to go out though, which was even more cruel. It had made their mother’s eyes teary and had cast a pall over the little family party.

It often happened this kind of anecdotes that Jace told them casually. They didn’t really know how to react to them, most of the time they tried to talk about something else or to distract him from his memories.

Overall he was doing great, they all were.

Except in February when their mother began to get sick. She skipped diner and felt always nauseous, besides, getting fatter.

The name of her sickness was revealed during diner after Jace told them about his day. Alec had a bad feeling when he saw her taking a deep breath and smile at their dad.

“I’m pregnant, you’ll have a little sister or a little brother,” she solemnly and carefully said.

_Oh no, not again._

Izzy had stopped eating, Jace frowned and Alec had lost his soul.

“I want a little brother,’’ claimed Izzy right away.

Alec didn’t want anything at all, his hands were already full with his siblings. Did it mean that his parents still loved each other to have conceived another child? To make love they had to love each other and he didn’t see their love for each other all the time.

Jace was like a statue and he seemed extremely worried. “Does that mean that you’ll give me back?”

Maryse and Robert blinked. “To give you back to whom and where?” they asked with confusion.

Jace still didn’t understand that he was entirely part of the family. In his head, he was a substitute for the baby until his birth. Even Izzy rolled her eyes while Alec was wondering if a second little sister would be better.

He wanted a little sister, like this it would make two girls and two boys in the family. It was a great idea as long as she wouldn’t get as annoying as Izzy. But it would still make another sibling to care about all the time.

Alec heaved a sigh. “Why another one?” he grumpily asked.

“It wasn’t planned but it had to happen,” explained their dad.

He looked happy, they looked happy and Church hopped on Maryse’s laps to rub his head against her belly. He was extremely cuddly with her or stared at her for a very long time. Wherever she went, Church followed her, and not only to be fed.

Maybe he knew before everyone else that a baby was growing inside her belly. He already seemed to love the baby more than anyone else.

 “So the baby is a surprise?” Alec asked, wondering how a baby could be a surprise or couldn’t be planned.

His parents looked embarrassed and only smiled as an answer. “You’ll understand when you’ll be older.”

He frowned. What did he have to understand?

 

A few weeks later, Alec, Izzy and Jace learned that the baby would be a boy. If this new made Izzy jumped around because it would make her the only princess in the family, it made Alec sigh.

“I wanted a little sister,” he mumbled.

“I wanted both,” retorted Jace.

Alec glanced at him, confused. Jace could be weird sometimes, adorably weird. Actually, Izzy and him were pretty excited to be the eldest sibling of another. It was a curse, wanted to explain Alec, who took a quick glance at the ultrasound where he could see a white shrimp.

“When will he be born?” Alec asked.

“August, if everything’s okay,” murmured their mom while sitting on the couch. “I’ll get fat, my belly will be so huge.”

Izzy sat next to her for a cuddle, the head on her chest and her arm on her belly, which seemed to anger Church who no longer could rub his great self against her belly.

“You’re already fat,” Izzy said with an angelic face.

*

Finally, Max was here. Their mom had given birth during the night and they were waiting to see her for a long time already, her and their little brother. Alec had already drunk all his juice and eaten all the snacks that his father had given them, they mostly have been eaten by Jace and Izzy of course.

“I don’t like to wait,” Izzy complained.

Jace nodded and sighed while swinging his legs, slumped in the orange plastic chair. Alec yawned, too tired to keep his eyes opened as they had to wake up early to go to the hospital. The door of their mom’s room opened, startling them, on their father who had a wide grin on his face.

Never they had seen him like this, hence why they didn’t move and kept staring at him silently.

“Do you want to see him?”

Izzy quickly sneaked inside while the nurses were leaving the room. Alec was the last one to go in before he slowly closed the door. He glanced up, the room was entirely white and Jace moved closer, staying by his side, not daring to come closer to see the baby.

Robert snorted. “What are you doing? Come closer,” he said before going towards the bed where Maryse was, holding tightly against her breast a small packet.

Alec was incredibly nervous but seeing Jace even more nervous than him made him even more nervous, so they didn’t move from where they were.

“He’s so small,” chirped Izzy who was huddled up against their mom.

Their mom looked so much less fat than the day before, Alec was impressed. He stepped forwards while pushing Jace in front of him and so on until they reached the bed. Maryse smiled and showed them the wonder. The shrimp had evolved into this tiny purplish wrinkled frog.

Alec stared at him, so this little frog was his little brother? His parents had said that babies were cute and obviously Max wasn’t cute, he was drooling and he could even see his tongue, his mom quickly and gently removed the slime with the sleeve of her robe.

“He’s so normal unlike you,” sighed Robert, breaking the silence that had surrounded them.

Jace looked up, ready for the anecdote while Izzy and Alec frowned.

“Robert,” Maryse mumbled before dropping a kiss on Max’s tiny forehead.

“Alec never cried, never ever, he was like a bored baby, slightly grumpy I might said,” he said with an amused smile, which made Izzy and Jace snort, while Maryse smiled, lost in her thoughts about Alec when he was a baby. “Izzy always cried and as soon as we were no longer looking at her. She was crying over nothing. If you were born first, you would have been an only child,” he added while looking at her, implying that she had been a really noisy baby.

All in all, Alec was happy to have been born first. “But Max’s here,” he reminded them, given that he was coming after her.

His dad only moved his eyebrows in a mysterious way. “It was bound to happen,” he finally murmured before kissing their mom on the cheek.

Jace was quietly staring at them, probably wondering what he was like when he was only a baby but no one could tell now. He seemed lost, confused and in distress, which happened often lately, but as always Maryse made sure that everyone felt like they belong.

The little frog opened his grayish eyes when Jace held him for the picture. Izzy tickled his feet and grinned when he stared at her, highly confused by all those people who were staring at him. He didn’t cry but did his most beautiful wince to show how unhappy he was with grunts that made him cute.

Max was ugly but weirdly cute, Alec couldn’t explain it. He just hoped that this new little bother with who he was almost ten years apart wouldn’t ruin his life by following the steps of Izzy and Jace.

Their eyes met and Max the little frog smiled, a toothless smile that made Alec happy.

Max was really, really, cute. Alec already loved him. He also hoped he wouldn’t mind having an annoying big brother who was always nagging and grumpy.

Each of them was entitled to a picture where they held Max in their arms, Alec was the last one and Max soundly fell asleep into his embrace.

“Why does he look like a frog?” he asked when his mom took him back in her arms to lay him beside her.

“He took after your dad,” his mom whispered. “Everyone looks like a frog when they’re just born,” she seriously added with a tender look in her eyes when Max moved.

 

Late in the evening, Max and their mom were allowed to leave the hospital. No one had expected Church to fell in love with the little frog. At first, they had put the baby seat in the living room to introduce the newcomer to the snarly cat. Church had immediately bounced on Max to cuddle with him in the baby seat, as if he recognized him as the baby who had been in Maryse’s belly some time ago. They even had to remove him from him, afraid that he would choke him with his fluffy fur.

Never had they seen the old cat behaving like this, he could be affectionate in a grumpy and reluctant way but it was the first time he seemed to genuinely care about someone in the family.

He even followed them when they went upstairs to put baby Max in his cradle.

The little frog opened his eyes when Church lay down next to him, then the snarly cat stared at them with narrowed eyes, waiting for them to leave him with what he was claiming as his.

“It’s my child,” insisted Robert. “Shoo.”

Church began to rub his fluffy head against Max’s tiny face before licking the hair on top of his head. Max didn’t care, sleepy as he was, but let out a little squeak while moving his hand that Church began to lick.

Alec was pretty sure they were meant to be best friends.

His dad captured this moment with his phone while Maryse tried for the umpteenth time to take Church away from the cradle but he was always coming back, more determined and clingy than ever.

“Do what you want,” she snarled before collapsing in the king size bed where Jace and Izzy were already half-asleep.

Church meowed and loudly purred while Robert was filming Max’s futures memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max was an accident, there’s lot of Jace in this chapter I know and maybe not enough Magnus but it was more dedicated to the Lightwood family. 
> 
> End of Alec's childhood, be ready to welcome his puberty! 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> P.S.: I hope you've noticed how Jace confused Alec...? If not, he does ^^


	11. Author's note

Hi,

This is not a chapter but an explanation. I’m dropping this story and you can't imagine how sorry I am and how guilty I feel. 

I no longer have the time, the energy, the motivation and the will to do it anymore.  Writing became so stressful. I’m still deeply attached to the characters but I’m not really into the fandom anymore, which is probably why I also want to move on.

Believe me it was hard for me to accept this failure and to leave this story on-going, I feel so guilty. This is why, I didn't answer to the comments on my last chapter...which I'm very grateful for so thank you!

Once again, I'm sorry. If I had more time or if I could buy time to write, I would but I don't and I can't.

Also, I’m already living inside my head (literally) and writing, in the beginning, was a way for me to exorcise my "overflowing imagination", besides practicing and getting better in English. So, I was already withdrawn into myself but writing has worsened this withdrawing. It's not your fault but mine. I've already written a long story in this fandom and you can't imagine how proud of me I was when I was able to finish it the way I wanted. It was time consuming but I had more time. Maybe I should have stopped here, honestly. "The Moon wants to shine but the Sun is too bright" should have been my first and last story. Maybe I should have kept "Blue, Yellow and Green were our little cars" nice and warm in my head. Not all the stories are meant to be written, especially this one which promised to be long, slow and boring.

Even now, this word sticks in my mind.

Writing was sharing, then it became stressful and burdensome. It's not what I wanted, despite all the love I have towards the characters and this story. 

I won’t orphan my works, nor removed them, as I initially and cowardly planned to do, to erase my existence in this fandom following the disappointment I had and still have towards myself. 

Besides, I owe you this explanation. 

I really want to thank you for your comments and for your kudos that made me happy to upload and to write until now.

So thank you again and again for your support, and once again I sincerely apologize. 

-Realitysucks

P.S.: If you ever want to know how the story was supposed to end, in detail, feel free to ask me in the comments below, I'll answer, or email me, you can find my email address in my profile. I'll just need some time to write it without forgetting anything.

 

 

* * *

 

* * *

 

My end in detail is quite long actually, hence why I put it here, like this it'll be more easy for you to read. Sorry for the mistakes and if you have questions feel free to ask of course. Thank you.

 

 

**Adolescence**

Max’s first word was “Church”. He is a really cute baby that Alec dearly loves. Alec will have to take care of him almost as a second mom, given how reliable he is and how busy his parents are. It explains why he and Max are very close but not with the same bond Max will have with Jace and Izzy who are more fun. In Max’s eyes, Alec=authority, nagging & scolding. Yet, as soon as he has a problem, he’ll talk to him about him first. They’re very close.

Izzy is bullied at school by girls, because she gets along too well with boys. Jace will keep an eye on her and will tell Alec about the situation. That’s why she doesn’t have many friends and highly values her friendship with Clary, then she’ll met Maia in the last year of middle school (which will relieved Alec that she’s getting more friends). She’s an emotional eater, Maryse will keep an eye on her and her eating habits, afraid that it becomes anorexia and bulimia but nothing like this will happen. Her first boyfriend is Meliorn, he was into her, older, and desired by all the girls. Besides, Izzy wanted to discover what love was. When Alec will see her growing interest for him, he’ll ask Magnus if he knows him as he is in another high school, to which Magnus says after an investigation that he was okay, just a lady-killer who organized the best parties. Alec doesn’t like him, he’s scared that he’ll break his sister’s heart but on the contrary Izzy will break Meliorn’s heart. She’ll lost her virginity to him, which would be a disappointment for her, as she will tell Alec. “It would have been better if I had loved him.” She just liked him because everyone wanted him and he seemed great at “love”. After this deep conversation, Alec will wonder where was the little girl who was waiting for her prince charming. He’ll buy her a lollipop to make her feel better. Meanwhile, Simon who is also a good friend of her thanks to Clary is head over for her but she doesn’t feel like going out with him for now just because he’s into her.

So, Alec is growing up into a fine serious little man. He’s into archery and nothing else while Magnus begin to fell in love here and there and that Will, Tessa and Jem are experiencing a love triangle. Tess loved Jem when he didn’t love her and that Will loved her. Jem loved Tessa when she began to feel something for Will, it fascinates Alec and Magnus who’ve never seen a soap opera.

Yet, with time Alec notices that he never looks at girls the way Magnus does. It’s just a thought that he will not deepen anytime soon because it would imply a lot of things towards Jace. Besides, his parents are okay with homosexuality but only if it doesn’t concern them.

Thanks to Magnus, Alec will experience his first party. He considers himself grateful to be best friends with him given how different they are and often wonder if things were different, they would still be friends. Yes, for Magnus as they’re meant to be.

During his first date, Magnus will be followed by his mother who wanted to take a lot of pictures of this event. He’ll lose his virginity to his third girlfriend at 15 yo and always cry a lot after a breakup in Alec’s arms who always tell him to stop falling in love that easily but Magnus loves love. Alec thinks he also likes Will a lot, mostly because he’s handsome, athletic and always protect him when he’s bullied because he wears make up, he’s into fashion. Alec rolls his eyes because Magnus doesn’t need to be protected he could make anyone cry in a blink if he really wants to. Magnus just wants Will to care for him.

Jem and Alec a really close, which often makes Magnus jealous because he comes over at Alec’s place as often as him in summer, given that he doesn’t want to go to Beijing anymore to see his parents as they never travelled for him as he does to see them. And Alec doesn’t like the idea of a lonely Jem.

Magnus and Max get along well and are almost best friends as well.

Alec is 16 when Magnus comes out as bisexual (he’s 18) and is really confused when he talks about a boy that he has met during a party to which Alec didn’t go. All along Alec who already knew thought that Magnus had realized his sexual orientation thanks to Will, which will highly surprise Magnus who actually has never thought about him this way. “Yes, he’s handsome and I look at him but he’s straight and I don’t feel anything towards him”. Then, they’ll talk seriously about Magnus’ past relationships and why it never last long. Alec begins to wonder what love tastes like while Magnus confesses that he doesn’t trust people even if he really loved them, he just can’t and his psychologist says that his problem is deeper than it seems to be and linked to his past. Yet, he trust Alec up to 100 %. “I know you much better than you think.” It implies that he knows Alec likes men and that he’s into Jace but he won’t say it and will just grin.

In high school, Alec becomes friend with Lily who’s older than him and rekindles with Aline (he then meets her girlfriend). Lily organizes her first party before leaving for university so Alec gets his first kiss with Magnus. He’s 16. It felt good and follow many drunk kisses and cuddles after but they won’t end up together right away. It will change something though, more skinship and stronger cuddles after (in the beginning it was awkward for Jace to sleep with them in the same room but he got used to it and Alec and Magnus don’t do anything)

Each time Magnus travels abroad he brings back for Alec a bow from the country he went to. Alec had a decent collection of bows now.

Camille is a friend of Magnus (the blonde little girl, older than them at his first birthday party, she poured them lemonade) they’ll go out. Alec doesn’t really like her but doesn’t hate her either. Like Magnus, she’s adopted but always feels the need to test the love people have for her. It won’t surprise Alec when Magnus tell him they’re together, he’s already preparing his arms to comfort Magnus when she’ll break his heart which she’ll do by cheating on Magnus with a Russian guy, adopted and from their fancy neighborhood. Magnus will stop loving love. He doesn’t look affected but Alec knows how hurt he is and tries his best to make him feel better.

Magnus has stopped looking for love since Camille and after summer break begins to not be himself which worries Alec who thinks that Camille is the cause of all of this. Magnus’ grades drop, he kisses Will during a party, and behaves like a dumbass. So Alec will scold him and for the first time they will fight badly, not the little fights they had when they were younger but a big one that will end their friendship (not for a long time but for the both of them it’ll be a disaster because too proud to apologize) as they’ve said to each other a lot of mean things.

Too proud, Alec ends his friendships with Jem, Tessa and Will to make sure to not see Magnus’ face and because they were friends with him first. He’ll often see Hodge who’ll secretly tell Jem (loves Hodge’s antiquary shop) how Alec is doing like this Magnus knows too. They worse than a couple for Izzy but Max is happy because like this Alec is often home to play with him and to help him with his homework.

While waiting for Magnus to apologize first because he had scolded him because he cared for him, Alec discovers that Jace knows Clary and Jocelyn for a long time, and that it’s not as recent as he had first thought. Actually, Jace had met Jocelyn and Clary right after it had been decided that the Lightwood would take care of him as his kidnapper was Valentine and that Jocelyn wanted to meet the poor child who had suffered because of him.

For Jace, it was love at first sight when he has seen Clary who thought, because of his name, that he was her brother. An awkward misunderstanding occurred and Clary never wanted to meet him again, because Jonathan was sad because of him.

So, Alec will discover thanks to Jace who has always keep this to himself all this time because Maryse and Robert didn’t him to tell he and Izzy anything about the truth and how involved they implicitly were in Jace’s kidnapping and suffering. The Circle was a group of friends aka a sect in disguised. Hodge was really close to Valentine, the charismatic Valentine, they were all so mesmerized by him that they’ve never noticed anything about his real self. Jace’s parents, Alec and Izzy’s parents, Hodge they were all blinded by his words. If not Jocelyn who was abused, even when she was pregnant with Jonathan. She’d say that her bruises were due to her clumsiness but no one was really asking. Yet, they’ll open their eyes when Valentine will kill Hugin (his crow) because he was noisily eating. Luke will help Jocelyn to escape with her children. Alec’s parents will do the same to run away from this psychopath.  The Circle was no more but Valentine managed to find Jocelyn’s new home. Jonathan is killed because he didn’t want to play with him, under Clary’s eyes, she would probably have been killed as well if Jocelyn hadn’t intervene (scar in her neck under her tattoo). Valentine ran away and Clary thought her brother and her mom were playing so she lay down beside them until Luke found them. Clary was 3 and Jonathan 5 yo.

Then, following a sad play of circumstances, Valentine in his escape sees Jace with his parents. He immediately thinks of his son that he has just killed and would love to have a second chance. He follows the happy family in their house, waits a long time, kills the parents and kidnaps Jace. Jace is then always locked into a closet because he refuses to call him dad because he already has a dad. So Jace calls him mister but mister wants to be called dad hence the abuse and the mental torture that Jace will have to go through until he’s found out.

The police knows that it’s Valentine who did this thanks to the evidence he has left behind and because Jocelyn and Hodge were able to identify some of his belongings. Everyone feels guilty towards Jace as Valentine could have been stopped sooner. Jace reveals to Alec that never Valentine would have abandoned him and that sooner or later he would come back to pick him up as Jace was a good that nasty people had taken away from him. “And he doesn’t like that, he must be waiting somewhere”.

These revelations will damage Alec’s relationship with Hodge and his parents. He’s too disappointed in them.

Meanwhile, Magnus goes to see Alec in Ed-Ed warehouse where he’s practicing his archery skills. When he sees him, Alec tells him he imagines him as the target. Magnus sheepishly winced before apologizing and they get back together. They missed each other too much and have a lot to say. Magnus finally tells him why he behaved like an idiot. He went to Jakarta during summer to go to the orphanage where his parents had adopted him in order to know better about his past, as the scary woman who haunted him in his nightmares is his mom. The orphanage had lied to his parents when they had told them that they had found him in the streets, almost dying of hunger, which was true for this part. Magnus was considered as a cursed child as his mom had committed suicide by hanging herself in the stairs in front of him, as he was the child of her rapist. Then, his “dad” tried to kill him by drowning him in the bathtub. Magnus, to defend himself, killed him and jumped out the window (scar on his chest). No one wanted to help him, everybody knew what he had done and who he was as they were no other boy with clear eyes like his. If not an old woman who gave him food from time to time, otherwise, the streets were Magnus’ home. If he likes cat this much it’s because he befriended a cat in the streets who would feed him from time to time, he had to leave him behind when people from the orphanage decided to pick him up. “My parents now know why I’m still so mistrustful and why I was so scared of water before.” “And why you always have nightmares about your mom,” whispers Alec who doesn’t know what to say. The orphanage had taken their time to help the cursed child, they knew about him because of the reports they had received but had waited, afraid to be cursed as well.

After all those discoveries and not because of Camille at all, Magnus felt like shit and even shittier after his fight with Alec, they tightly hug each other and Alec invites him to his house for the night before telling him about the Circle.

Between Clary (who still “see” Jonathan) and Jace it’s slowly getting better, between Alec, Hodge and his parents too and Simon is more and more into Izzy.

Later, after prom where Alec didn’t go because he had no one, he’s like usual in his warehouse to do archery when Clary and Jace come to see him after a date with Jonathan of course. Then a man comes in out of nowhere, which makes Alec frown as no one beside him is allowed to be here this late. He knows this man, he has already seen him several times in town or here. It’s Valentine with a creepy smile ready to take back his children with him. Jace recognizes him right away while Clary only does when he speaks. Alec is as scared as them so he only shots an arrow near him just to scare him while Clary and Jace hide behind him. They both try to call the police and Luke. When Valentine begins to be harmful towards them, Alec stabs his leg with an arrow (not easy of course) but Jace manages to lock him in a closet. “I always wanted to do that.” While Clary is holding her broken nose. They quickly leave too scared to stay in the same place as him, the police and ambulance arrive to take care of them, and Valentine finally ends up in jail.

Alec just wonders why the hell Valentine was watching him, since when and if anyone else knew. But no one does, so Alec only tells Magnus who seems as afraid as him.

Alec got almost killed because of how close he was to Jace.

Jocelyn will start to be less oppressive with Clary as soon as Valentine was caught.

 

**University/Adulthood**

Alec has to go through several interviews for university. He has sent his candidatures everywhere (law schools to study children’s right) which Magnus finds ridiculous given that Alec is a good student so he will be accepted right away. Himself has decided to study architecture in New York. In N-Y, Lily who is studying here will put him up for his interview, they’ll have fun together, stress together and Alec will meet Lydia who seemed confident but while waiting for his turn Alec will hear her throwing up in a plant pot.

Later, Alec learns that he has been accepted in New York and almost everywhere else, thanks to Magnus who opened his emails for him because Alec was too scared of the answers. For him, it’s perfect they’ll be together for a long time again. Except that Alec has never ever thought about sharing an apartment with him. He wanted to live on his own without having to share anything with anyone, wanted to make his own friends and maybe find love. He also doesn’t want to be a hindrance for Magnus, like when he would bring someone over to hookup for example. It’ll upset Magnus who say that he would never be that inconsiderate. He does his puppy eyes and Alec finally agrees to live with him in a fancy apartment that belonged to his parents (Alec and his parents has to insist to pay a rent which is really low thanks to their kindness).

Alec leaving the house is a huge and sad event, it even made Maryse cries, Max pouted for days after he left (after a very big hug) and Hodge looked really lonely. Alec is secretly happy to see that his absence will affect his siblings but can’t help feeling sad to leave them to adult. Even though, Izzy and Jace teased him about how happy they are that he was finally leaving they were the first ones to call him to make sure he was sound and safe at his place in N-Y.

Magnus and Alec have their own bedrooms but they’ll sleep together from time to time, even quite often, at first it will be weird for them to be by themselves but better. Magnus has smirked and roll his eyes when he saw Alec’s single bed which didn’t really matter for him because the closer the better for great cuddles, besides his bed is big enough for 3 persons. For the first time, he’ll ask Alec about Jace but implicitly like “now you’ll be able to move on.” Before the official start of the year, Alec goes in a shelter to adopt a kitten for Magnus who loves cat and always dreamt to own one. A tabby little cutie. Magnus’ face is priceless, Alec’s smug face too, when he sees his reaction to the little ball of fur wrapped into a warm blanket. Because he meows a lot, the tabby kitten becomes Chairman Meow.

Then, Alec met Magnus’ friends who studies in the same town: Raphael, Ragnor & Catarina. If Alec has heard a lot about them, it’s the same for them. Magnus can be quite talkative about the people he loves. They get along, with Jem, Will and Tessa as well (threesome during a little party at Will’s place, Jem has reached the point of no-return, they’ll be together from now on which fascinates Magnus and Alec as this situation/evolution was not expected at all). Anyways, for once, Alec will quickly understands that Ragnor and Raphael are together (aro ace couple) they’ll just never really speak about their relationship as it seems too obvious.

If Magnus is doing well (studies, friendships, parties, some hook-ups), it’s not Alec’s case who can’t do archery at all, his friend with Lydia and some other classmates but he feels like it’s not enough. He’s stressing himself over nothing, like usual, and always compares himself to others. That’s why for once and for the first time of his life, Alec will go to a party without Magnus but with Lydia, organized by a dude in the campus. He’ll drink a lot, will lose his t-shirt, will have fun and will forget about Magnus waiting for him at home as he didn’t sent the message he wrote to let him know about this party. The day after, Alec sheepishly goes back home in the afternoon. Never he had seen Magnus so mad. He even had called their mutual friends, extremely worried that Alec did an unusual thing. Then, Magnus had noticed that unlike Alec, he didn’t know his new friends. He’ll scold him pretty badly as until now Alec has always nagged about his outings, that he wanted him to tell him beforehand if he was going back home late or not at all. Alec begins to feel really bad when Magnus shows him his messages, Jem’s ones…etc. Everyone was worried. His apologizes and cuddles won’t change anything, Magnus is too angry and mad at him to soften which he eventually will after lots of them.

Following this, Magnus meets Lydia who is convinced that they’re a couple, despite what Alec tells her (he feels much better now). Even their friends, Izzy when she’ll come over, think they’re together given their behavior. In the club, when Alec keeps Magnus’ phone in his pants’ pocket, he’ll touch his behind shamelessly or even naturally hug him or kiss his shoulder in front of everyone. They’re too affectionate. The fact that they’re still sleeping together will even surprise Jace and Izzy.

But they’re not together, not yet.

When Alec goes back home to see his family, the grumpy Church and the lonely Hodge with whom he has a “date” something terrible happens. Hodge and Max die. Alec was supposed to go to the movie theater with Hodge but Izzy and Max tagged along and the tragedy happens. Not Hodge’s fault, he couldn’t avoid the truck in front of him which was going straight at them. So, in a car accident. (I’m so glad I don’t have to write this part because just imagining it makes me cry) Hodge died right away, Alec thought he was the only survivor as Izzy and Max’s bodies were no longer inside the car. He has a broken arm and his face is quite damaged. A little further, he’ll find Izzy and Max bodies. Izzy looks like a disarticulated lifeless doll and Max is looking at the sky. He’ll die in Alec’s arms after the latter did his best to save him with lifesaving gestures. He’s 9 years old. When Alec looks up he realized that Izzy is still alive as someone is taking care of her, he doesn’t realize what is happening but once in the hospital he’ll began to feel extremely ill and guilty especially when his dad will ask him if he has done his very best to save Max, Alec doesn’t answer, unable to know if he had done his best (you can imagine how he feels) His state of mind worsens at the sight of his parents and Jace’s reaction when they all learned Max and Hodge’s official deaths and that Izzy is in a coma.

The family is a mess.

Church dies of sadness when he understands that Max is not coming back. He was already very old.

Losing a close friend, a son and having a daughter in a coma will bring Maryse and Robert closer. They won’t divorce and Izzy will wake up 6 days later. Meanwhile, Alec suffers from PTSD. As soon as they heard about the accident, the Banes called Magnus as Alec didn’t tell him too shocked to do so. He immediately rushes over while Jocelyn, Luke & the Banes take care of Alec’s family. Alec and Magnus will kiss, it’s an accident but in the same time deliberate. No one will tell anything when they’ll sleep together, probably because Jace and Izzy will join them to feel warmer and better in their sorrow.

At the sight of Alec, Simon will wince because he looks dead. Alec can rely on him, Clary and Maia to take care of Izzy who also begin to suffer from PTSD. Jace doesn’t know what to do, Magnus either as Alec looks utterly dead. He has lost a part of him and is not recovering as his parents wish he would.  Alec is finally able to open the puzzle box that Hodge gave him a long time ago and what he’ll see inside will make him cry (for Izzy it was a silver bracelet that she wears all the time)

Literally, Robert and Maryse don’t want Alec to go back in N-Y as he’s still not better, they’re scared he’ll do something stupid but Magnus promised them to take care of him with everyone who know about the situation. After making sure that his parents and siblings will be in the good care of the people they know, Alec leaves with Magnus to finish his year.

From there, Magnus will do his best to make Alec’s smile but nothing can be done and even Raphael is scared that Alec will do something stupid so they all keep a close eye on him. Alec sees a therapist and is getting slightly used to the pain but he can’t really mourn Max and Hodge yet so Jocelyn will call him to help him. He’ll understand that Clary is still not over her brother’s death as she still imagines him. “The pain is still here, it’ll never disappear, you’re just getting used to it,” she’ll say to him.  

Life goes on, the Lightwoods are all getting used to the pain and begin to live again, or survive, as will say Maryse to Alec.

Now, Alec and Magnus sleep together every night. Magnus has stopped seeing people to entirely focus on Alec. They naturally become a couple but it’ll be official when Magnus kiss him in an usual date outside. No one is surprised (not even Camille), not even Alec’s parents who don’t say much. Their friendship have always been ambiguous. They were meant to be as friends and then as lovers.

The end

(sorry I mixed, present, past and future ^^')


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